By CHRISTOPHER WARREN

ROME — AC Milan briefly extended their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points with a 2-1 home win against Roma on Saturday before Juventus closed the gap back to four with a 2-0 victory over Inter Milan 24 hours later.

 Two second half goals from in-form Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic demonstrated the winning mentality of the Rossoneri side as they came from a goal down to edge out a spirited Roma at the San Siro stadium on Saturday night in their charge to defend their Serie A crown.

 Milan started well but lost the services of Brazilian defender Thiago Silva through a thigh injury after only ten minutes of the match, ruling him out of the Rossoneri’s mid-week Champions League quarter-final first leg game against Barcelona.

 In an entertaining encounter, it was Roma who took the lead through Pablo Osvaldo a minute before half-time when he redirected a scuffed Daniele De Rossi shot into the net to put the pressure on the home side.

 However, Milan went level just eight minutes after the restart when a Massimo Ambrosini shot was blocked by De Rossi’s hand, which resulted in referee Paolo Mazzoleni‎ pointing to the spot.

 De Rossi was booked for the hand ball and Argentine Gabriel Heinze was also carded for his protests as Ibrahimovic scored his 21^stgoal of the season from the resulting penalty.

 A few minutes later Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri replaced Dutch midfielder Urby Emanuelson for German striker Kevin-Prince Boateng to bolster his side’s attack, as the home team chased the vital winning goal.

 Ghanaian Sulley Muntari came close on 73 minutes when he hit a volley that crashed back off the Roma crossbar before Ibrahimovic’s persistence paid off ten minutes later, when he flicked the ball over Roma’s Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, before chasing the ball down to head in the winner and his 22^ndof the campaign.

 Despite the importance of the win, Allegri will have to deal with the possible fall out for his decision to play Silva, as the Milanese go into their biggest game of the season against European Champions Barcelona in Milan in Wednesday night’s Champions League quarter-final clash.

 He told Sky Sport Italia: "Thiago Silva has a problem with a flexor muscle and cannot play in the Champions League against Barcelona. I risked him, but it did not pay off."

 The result is a huge blow for Roma’s Champions League aspirations as they now lie in sixth place and seven points off third position and a place in the Champions League next season.

 Meanwhile, in Turin Juventus beat Inter Milan 2-0 to keep up the pressure on league leaders AC Milan.

 Uruguayan Martin Caceres scored for Juventus 12 minutes into the second half with an unmarked header after an Andrea Pirlo corner for 1-0, before veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero kept his cool to slot in for 2-0 mid-way through the second half and wrap up the points.

 In a fast and physical first half the first chance of the game fell to Inter’s Argentine striker Diego Milito, who pulled a good save out of Gianluigi Buffon after a through ball from Brazilian defender Maicon after 13 minutes.

 The home side probably should have taken the lead a few minutes later when Caceres found Alessandro Matri completely unmarked but his header was straight at Julio Cesar in the Inter goal.

 Inter started to create more chances of their own and Buffon was called into action again with almost half an hour played, after Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan met a corner with his head, only to see the Juve keeper get down quickly and push the ball away.

 A few minutes later Milito expertly controlled a long ball forward and pulled another fine save out of Buffon when he volleyed at goal.

 Inter’s veteran Serbian midfielder Dejan Stankovic tested Buffon once again when he hit a shot from 30 yards out after a poor Juventus clearance, only to see the Italian number one keeper save at full-stretch five minutes before the break.

 The home side dominated the second half and took the lead when a corner from Pirlo found Caceres unmarked to power a header past Julio Cesar for 1-0.

 Vucinic should have doubled the home side’s lead 20 minutes from time but he failed to convert when clear through on goal.

 Seconds later substitute Del Piero did find the net when he coolly slotted past the Inter keeper to give Juventus some breathing space.

 Giorgio Chiellini drifted into the Inter box before unselfishly passing to substitute Fabio Quagliarella, but his shot was brilliantly cleared off the line by Maicon after 77 minutes.

 Julio Cesar made a spectacular save five minutes from the end to deny Chiellini’s powerful header before the referee blew the final whistle on a thrilling game.

 Inter fell to eighth after the defeat and are now seven points off a European qualification spot.

 In other games, Lazio moved back into third place with a late goal from French defender Mobido Diakite securing a 1-0 win against Cagliari and all three points at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon.

 The Biancocelesti jumped above Udinese who were held to a 1-1 draw with Palermo in Sicily on Saturday night and slipped to fifth in the table after Napoli earned a point at home against Catania.

 In that game Napoli squandered a 2-0 lead in the last 15 minutes after first half goals by Blerim Dzemaili and Edinson Cavani were cancelled out by Catania’s Nicolás Federico Spolli and a goal from Davide Lanzafame in the final five minutes.

 Napoli now trail Lazio by three points in the race for the final Champions League spot.

 Meanwhile, Atalanta moved up to ninth with a 2-0 win at home over Bologna, bottom club Cesena earned a point in a 2-2 home draw against struggling Parma, Siena drew 1-1 in Chievo, Genoa drew 2-2 with Fiorentina and Novara secured a point in a goalless draw against Lecce.

Full Serie A Results:

Saturday

AC Milan 2-1 Roma

Palermo 1-1 Udinese

Sunday

Juventus 2-0 Inter Milan

Lazio 1-0 Cagliari

Napoli 2-2 Catania

Atalanta 2-0 Bologna

Genoa 2-2 Fiorentina

Novara 0-0 Lecce

Cesena 2-2 Parma

Chievo 1-1 Siena