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Italy: Inter Milan back on track after 3-0 win over Lecce [Sun Sep 18th, 2005]
Rome (Reuters) - Inter Milan put last weekend's Serie A defeat at Palermo behind them with a classy 3-0 win over Lecce at the San Siro stadium.
The result gave Inter six points, the same number as league leaders and champions Juventus, who host promoted Ascoli next.
Inter's Brazilian striker Adriano quickly set the tone of the match, forcing a save from Lecce keeper Vincenzo Sicignano inside the first minute.
Penned in their own half for long periods, the visitors' resistance cracked in the 25th minute when Obafemi Martins broke the offside trap and chipped Sicignano.
Sloppy marking allowed Dejan Stankovic to scuff in Inter's second at the far post four minutes later and midfielder Esteban Cambiasso nearly bagged a third when he hit the post shortly after the half hour mark.
Martins's substitute, Julio Cruz, rounded off a one-sided contest six minutes from the end, chesting down Juan Sebastian Veron's cross before volleying the ball into the net.
In an earlier match, a goal by Italy striker Bernardo Corradi gave Parma a 1-0 win over promoted Empoli and their first Serie A victory of the season.
Empoli started strongly and only a last-ditch tackle by defender Paolo Cannavaro stopped Christian Rigano finishing into an empty net after he rounded home keeper Luca Bucci.
Gradually, however, Parma took control and in the 17th minute Corradi picked up a low cross, turned his marker and angled a shot past Empoli keeper Gianluca Berti for his first goal since returning to Italy from Valencia during the close season.
He almost struck again just before half-time but Berti stretched out a leg to deflect his close-range header.
Parma could have extended their lead in the second half. Marco Delvecchio failed to hit the target from point-blank range and midfielder Andrea Pisanu curled the ball against a post.
Empoli have yet to earn a point after three games, while Parma now have four.
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