Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from a three-match suspension on Saturday in thrilling style by hitting a first-half hat-trick as champions AC Milan enjoyed a 4-0 cruise at Palermo.
The win allowed Milan to open a four-point lead over Juventus at the top of the table, although their Turin rivals have two games in hand, starting with Chievo later on Saturday.
Palermo had not lost to Milan at home since 2006 but Ibrahimovic soon put that record to bed by giving his side a 3-0 lead by the 35th minute.
He broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when Sulley Muntari set up Robinho, who found the big Swede in space to find the target with a left-footed curler.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0, when Ibrahimovic poked a low drive past goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.
He completed his hat-trick after 35 minutes when he guided a shot inside the right-hand post from a few yards outside the area.
Milan's rout was confirmed just before the hour mark when Thiago Silva headed in a cross from Stephan El Shaarawy.
Sunday sees the Rome derby between Roma and Lazio.
Lazio, who won the season's first derby right at the death, will expect to bag full points as they chase down the top two -- they are currently level on 45 points with third-placed Udinese, who take on Atalanta.
But Roma, blowing hot and cold under Luis Enrique, can overhaul Napoli and move into fifth with a win.
The Neapolitans, likely to rest several key names ahead of their potentially season-defining Champions League visit to Chelsea, host Parma looking to cut the five-point gap on Lazio.
Meanwhile, embattled Inter Milan coach Claudion Ranieri denied on Saturday that he was living on borrowed time as his side prepared to end a dreadful run of seven defeats and a draw by beating Catania on Sunday.
"I don't see the game against Catania as my last chance," former Chelsea and Roma coach Ranieri insisted.
"The club has total confidence in me. I am determined. I don't feel I am under the microscope as the situation was more critical when I arrived than it is now."
The Nerazzurri's poor run has seen them eliminated from the Italian Cup and slide to seventh in Serie A, nine points off a Champions League qualifying berth.
They also have to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their March 13 last-16 Champions League second-leg clash with Marseille -- which could in itself comprise the real last chance for Ranieri.
Ranieri added he would likely leave out Dutch star Wesley Sneijder, who is struggling to find his form, against Catania.
"It's not accurate to say Sneijder is a problem -- but he is not having his best year and you have to deal with that in a certain way," Ranieri explained.
Source: AFP
