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Serie A round-up

Image: Seedorf: Milan's hero

AC Milan left it late against Chievo and Roma were pegged back by struggling Livorno.

Lucarelli hat-trick dents Roma's title hopes

AC Milan left it late against Chievo, Roma were pegged back by struggling Livorno, while Juventus' disappointing campaign continued against Siena. Bologna and Sampdoria shared the spoils, Genoa and Cagliari played out an eight-goal thriller, Bari increased Lazio's relegation worries and Atalanta slipped closer to the trapdoor at Parma, while Udinese ended Palermo's winning streak. Clarence Seedorf scored an injury-time winner as AC Milan closed the gap on league leaders and city rivals Inter Milan with a 1-0 victory over Chievo. David Beckham hobbled off with an apparent left leg injury in the closing minutes of the game at the San Siro. Cristiano Lucarelli grabbed a hat-trick for relegation-threatened Livorno to deny Roma the chance to move within four points of Inter Milan after a 3-3 draw. The Giallorossi squandered the lead on two occasions and also missed a penalty on an afternoon of frustration for coach Claudio Ranieri. The hosts - who remain in the bottom three but at least gained a point on fourth-bottom Lazio - took the lead after nine minutes through Lucarelli, only for Simone Perrotta to level matters within 60 seconds. Luca Toni then put the visitors in front with a controversial strike but Lucarelli netted again after 26 minutes to restore parity. A breathtaking passage of play showed no sign of abating with David Pizarro restoring Roma's lead approaching the half-hour mark and the visitors should have doubled their advantage before the break but Pizarro missed from the spot. Lucarelli was more accurate from 12 yards with 20 minutes to go and Livorno held on despite a late Roma onslaught. Siena launched a stunning second-half fightback to recover from 3-0 down and earn a draw as Juventus' disappointing campaign continued at Stadio Olimpico. Three goals in the opening 10 minutes from Alessandro Del Piero (2) and Antonio Candreva looked to have secured the points for Alberto Zaccheroni's fifth-placed side, who had entered the match on the back of three wins from their last four games. But former Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone got a goal back for the basement battlers just before the interval before two goals from Abdel Ghezzal, the second from the spot, sealed the most unlikely of comebacks. Bologna and Sampdoria had to settle for a point each after a dramatic final few minutes in a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Renato Della Ara. The game looked destined to end in a goalless draw until Daniele Gastaldello grabbed what seemed certain to be the winner for the visitors after 86 minutes. But Bologna hit back to snatch an equaliser in the second minute of added time when Andrea Raggi fired in from close range after a scramble in the area. Genoa saw off Cagliari in an eight-goal thriller at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to move back into contention for a place in Europe next season. Daniele Dessena put Cagliari ahead in the 16th minute, but Alberto Zapater equalised from the penalty spot in the 36th minute after the home side had already been denied four times by the woodwork. Rodrigo Palacio put Genoa ahead in the 39th minute, but their joy was short lived as Daniele Conti equalised immediately. Giuseppe Sculli restored Genoa's advantage and Marco Rossi added a fourth before the break. Alessandro Matri scored the second penalty of the match in the 55th minute to make things interesting, but Omar Milanetto sealed Genoa's win just four minutes later. Bari struck twice in the second half to sink relegation-threatened Lazio with a 2-0 win. Sergio Almiron put the visitors on their way to victory in the 51st minute after Lazio wasted a hatful of chances to break the deadlock in the opening half. Edgar Alvarez doubled the visitors' lead shortly after the hour mark. Atalanta slipped closer to the Serie A trapdoor as they went down 1-0 at Parma. Substitute Valeri Bojinov's goal 19 minutes from time decided the contest, while Atalanta added to their woes just two minutes later as Cristiano Doni was sent off for dissent. Antonio Floro Flores scored twice as Udinese ended high-flying Palermo's three-game winning streak to enhance their own Serie A survival chances. Flores netted after 44 and 65 minutes after Fabrizio Miccoli had briefly levelled for the Bianconeri at the Stadio Frulli. Kwadwo Asamoah struck a third with 20 minutes remaining for Udinese and, despite conceding an acrobatic Edison effort 10 minutes from time, the hosts held on to add to their cushion against relegation.

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