Inter picked up a ninth straight win in beating Messina 2-0, while Roma thrashed Palermo.
Internazionale continued their charge towards the title with a 2-0 win over Messina, but Roma are keeping pace after thrashing third-placed Palermo 4-0.Second half goals from Marco Materazzi (49) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (59) were enough to give Roberto Mancini's men the points and set a new club record for consecutive wins.
In what was expected to be a close game at Stadio Olimpico, Roma cut loose by hammering four goals past a beleaguered Palermo.
Alessandro Mancini grabbed the key goal in scoring a minute before half-time, with Francesco Totti converting a penalty on 56 minutes.
Mancini notched a second on 83 minutes before Giuseppe Biava put through his own goal in the last minute. Palermo also had Fabio Simplicio sent off.
Ascoli remain rooted to the bottom of the table after going down 2-0 at home to Torino.
Alessandro Rosina opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before the hour mark.
Ascoli were reduced to ten men when Michelangelo Minieri was sent off after 65 minutes.
However, Ascoli were gifted the chance to equalise in the final minute when they won a penalty with Marco Di Loreto seeing red for Torino.
Sasa Bjelanovic failed to score from the spot for the home side and Torino made him pay for that miss with Rosina scoring his second goal of the contest deep into injury-time.
Catania missed the chance to close the gap on the leading pack after their game with Empoli was postponed.
Sampdoria piled the misery on struggling Reggina with a 1-0 win at Stadio Oreste Granillo.
Fabio Quagliarella netted the winner for Sampdoria on 66 minutes.
Struggling duo Parma and Chievo played out a 2-2 draw at Ennio Tardini.
Andrea Zanchetta gave Chievo the lead from the penalty spot on 23 minutes, but Parma hit back two minutes later through Igor Budan to draw level.
Daniele Dessena fired Parma in front just before the hour mark only for Lorenzo D`Anna to equalise for Chievo on 65 minutes.
Lazio missed the chance to go fourth after being held to a 1-1 draw at Livorno.
Goran Pandev gave Lazio the lead on 25 minutes, but the visitors suffered a blow when Tommaso Rocchi was sent off on 59 minutes.
Livorno made their numerical advantage count when Cristiano Lucarelli levelled matters on 65 minutes.
Mario Frick's late strike gave Siena a 1-1 draw with Atalanta.
Giulio Migliaccio gave Atalanta the lead on 36 minutes and it looked like being enough for the visitors until Frick popped up with the equaliser five minutes from time.
Siena ended the game on a sour note when Daniele Portanova was dismissed in the dying seconds.
Click on fixture for full match summary
Ascoli 0-1 Torino
Catania p-p Empoli
Internazionale 2-0 Messina
Livorno 1-1 Lazio
Parma 2-2 Chievo
Reggina 0-1 Sampdoria
Roma 4-0 Palermo
Siena 1-1 Atalanta
