Vieri double keeps Inter in touch
 |
Christian Vieri (center) is congratulated after scoring his second goal against Perugia.
Story Tools
|
MILAN, Italy -- Italian international striker Christian Vieri scored twice as Inter Milan kept pace with the leading trio in Serie A with a 2-0 home win over Perugia in the San Siro.
Vieri sat out Inter's impressive 3-1 win against Juventus last weekend due to a back injury but showed no ill effects as he drove 25th and 80th-minute shots past Perugia keeper Michele Tardioli.
Also Sunday, Italy's Under-21 star Alberto Gilardino scored twice in Parma's 2-1 win against 10-man Lecce.
Vieri raised his season total to seven goals in eight league matches. For his first score, Vieri was set up by fellow striker Julio Ricardo Cruz inside the area on a play that was begun by Turkish midfielder Belozoglu Emre.
With Perugia launching an all-out assault to try and tie the match, the Argentine Cruz found Vieri again with 10 minutes to play, sending a long up-field pass that sent the powerforward in all alone against Tardioli. Vieri shot from the edge of the area.
Inter suffered defensively in the second half without its sturdy Colombian fullback Ivan Cordoba, who left the match with a right knee injury after just 20 minutes. Midfielder Cristiano Zanetti hurt his left thigh and was substituted for in the 55th.
Perugia midfielder Giovanni Tedesco cut Inter's lead in the 88th minute, but the home side hung on for the victory to stay five points behind local rivals AC Milan in the title race.
Inter is trying to make up some lost ground on the leaders with its new coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who replaced Hector Cuper six rounds into the season.
Elsewhere, Sampdoria edged Siena 2-1 on recent national team call-up Fabio Bazzani's 73rd-minute match-winner, Bologna went ahead 3-0 and then had to hang on for a 3-2 victory against Ancona, Modena and Brescia drew 1-1 and Udinese beat Reggina 1-0 on an 87th-minute goal by Germany's Carsten Jancker.
