Inter Milan continued their march to a fifth consecutive Scudetto over the weekend as they systematically took apart Cagliari.
Their main Serie A title rival AC Milan, however, faltered on Sunday as they were held to a draw against Bologna. AS Roma did leapfrog to second spot in the league, thanks to a victory against a slumping Fiorentina, combined with Milan's misfortunes.
Here are the best XI the Serie A had to offer over the weekend:
Julio Sergio - AS Roma
The Roma custodian was an absolute wall against Fiorentina. Sergio made saves against Juan Vargas and Alberto Gilardino, and was always first to claim through balls and crosses. The Brazilian goalie was steadfast in goal as La Viola poured forward in search of an equaliser in the last eight minutes.
Maicon - Inter Milan
The right-back was a threat down the right flank as he got into dangerous positions in the final third of the pitch consistently to deliver crosses. Maicon grabbed the assist in Inter's second goal, putting in the perfect cross for Walter Samuel to head the ball into the back of the net.
Dario Dainelli - Genoa
Daninelli was a rock in defence for the Rossoblu, providing much-needed cover for goalkeeper Marco Amelia. The Grifoni centre-back provided a steady influence in the backline for the whole ninety minutes in the game against Chievo and his team earned maximum points for his labour.
Simon Kjaer - Palermo
The Danish central defender was solid at the back for the Aquile, limiting the number of attacks on the Palermo goal by Parma. Kjaer has been consistent at the back for the Rosanero this season, and will the talked about constantly when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.
Giampaolo Bellini - Atlanta
The Atalanta vice-captain did something not many have succeeded in doing this season - completely shut down Edgar Alvarez. Bellini shackled the Bari winger, bringing the Galletti's attack to a grinding halt in their clash as both teams shared the points.
Marco Rossi - Genoa
The Genoa skipper has always epitomised the Grifoni's hardworking spirit, but he brought it to another level on Sunday as he willed his team to success by taking matters into his own feet. In the 63rd minute of a close encounter against the Flying Donkeys, the midfielder executed a sharp turn to elude the defence and unleashed an unstoppable low angled shot to beat Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino and earn Genoa all three points.
Javier Zanetti - Inter Milan
The evergreen Inter mainstay adds to his legend week after week. On Sunday, Zannetti was on song as he exploded into the Cagliari third of the pitch, evading Andrea Lazzari to set up Goran Pandev for the Nerazzurri's first goal. 'Il Trattore' then took control of the right flank with his tackling and passing, giving Inter an outlet whenever the attack stagnated in the middle.
Fabio Simplicio - Palermo
The Brazilian midfielder took to the field with only ten minutes left in the game, but he made the most of it, receiving the pass from Fabrizio Miccoli in the 87th minute to blast the ball past Antonio Mirante for the Aquile's winner. Simplicio then burst into tears after scoring the goal, crying for both Palermo and former club Parma!
Jaime Valdes - Atalanta
It's safe to say that Atalanta's attack lives and dies with Jaime Valdes. The midfielder was everywhere for La Dea, supplying passes to his team-mates, shooting when the opportunity presented itself, and generally dictating the tempo of Atalanta's attacks.
Antonio Di Natale - Udinese
The striker exerted his will on the Zebrette's clash against high-flying Napoli, claiming a hat-trick and scoring the latter two of the goals in second-half stoppage time! Di Natale scored his first goal by putting in the rebound off his own penalty miss, then pounced on a poor Michele Pazienza clearance to score his second, and rounded out his personal show by completing a counter-attack two minutes later.
Goran Pandev - Inter Milan
Pandev has been in devastating form since signing for the Nerazzurri, and Sunday's game against the Islanders was no exception. The Macedonian striker drew first blood for Inter in the sixth minute, then set up the third goal for Diego Milito after a good link-up play with Samuel Eto'o.
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