Inter Milan's Ricardo Quaresma vies for the ball between Fiorentina's Juan Vargas, front, and Riccardo Montolivo during Sunday's match. Inter Milan's Ricardo Quaresma vies for the ball between Fiorentina's Juan Vargas, front, and Riccardo Montolivo during Sunday's match. (Luca Bruno/Associated Press)

Diego Milito converted a late penalty to extend Inter Milan's lead in Serie A with a 1-0 win over Fiorentina on Sunday as second-place Juventus lost 2-0 at Cagliari.

Inter is now trailed by city rival AC Milan.

Milito struck five minutes from the end after being brought down by Gianluca Comotto.

For Cagliari, Nene opened the scoring with a long-range effort in the 30th minute that gave Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon no chance and Alessandro Matri added a second from a counterattack just a minute from time.

Inter is tops with 35 points and Milan second on 28. Juventus is third with 27, three points and one place ahead of Sampdoria.

"This was a very important match and Inter played well," Inter coach Jose Mourinho said.

"For 80 minutes my team played better and had the better scoring chances. We scored a fair goal and the referee ruled it out, but in the end the goal came."

Inters midfielder Sulley Muntari had the first chance of the match in the 14th minute but fired into the side netting from short range after Milito had picked him out with a pass.

Both sides struggled for chances in a physical first half and two weak Juan Vargas free kicks straight at Inter keeper Julio Cesar was the best Fiorentina could produce.

Inter continued to dominate proceedings after halftime.

"The players played with confidence and showed no fear after the loss to Barcelona in the Champions League this week," Jose Mourinho said.

Uninspired in Catania

In Catania, neither side managed to create many scoring chances. Clarence Seedorf shot into the side netting from Milan's best opening and Marco Borriello forced Catania keeper Mariano Andujar into a sharp save from close range.

Giuseppe Bellusci fired wide with Catania's best chance, having been set up by Nicolas Spolli.

After the break, neither side displayed much inspiration in attack and shots from outside the area from Seedorf and Alexandre Pato were the best either side produced.

Strikers Filippo Inzaghi and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar came on to boost Milan's attack and in injury time the pair linked up for the Dutch striker to score the opener.

Huntelaar's strikes are his first since joining the club in the close season. Since then it has been a difficult four months and there were rumours he would be moving on in the January transfer window.

Also Sunday, it was; Atalanta 1 AS Roma 2; Bari 2 Siena 1; Chievo Verona 1 Palermo 0; Lazio 0 Bologna 0; and Parma 1 Napoli 1.