World Soccer

Luca Bruno (AP)

Inter Milan beat Palermo 2-1 at home on Sunday to restore the champions’ six-point lead at the top of Serie A after a troubled week.

Goals by Patrick Vieira and Luis Jimenez settled nerves at the club after coach Roberto Mancini said he was leaving at the end of the season following Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 defeat by Liverpool. Mancini changed his mind the following day.

“These are three important points,” said Mancini. “It was important to win given what has happened this week.”

Inter have 67 points from 28 games, while second-placed AS Roma have 61 after coming from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1 on Saturday.

Roma’s coach Luciano Spaletti said now preasure on Inter. “They (Inter) will play to win, they have always done that and they lost only against Napoli. We did well tonight and now perhaps they will feel a little pressure. Even if you are better, you still have to win your matches.”

There’s a lot of disappointment in Milan’s dressing room following defeat to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. The Rossoneri played a great match and took the lead thanks to Kaká, but goals by Ludovic Giuly and Mirko Vucinic near the end turned the match around.

“We’re very disappointed about the defeat,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti. “Roma took advantage of some situations near the end, and won a match where we deserved at least a draw. We played very well, but lost some important points.

Juventus, who are seven points behind Roma in third, beat Napoli 1-0 in the late Sunday game thanks to an 88th-minute strike by substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta. Fifth-placed Milan are now four points adrift of the Champions League qualification zone.

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