Inter Milan strengthen lead in Serie A

The unbeaten title holders now have 40 points from 16 games, with second-place Roma trailing on 33 after an earlier scoreless draw at Torino and Juventus winning 3-2 at Lazio to remain eight points adrift.

 Aggressive tactics allowed Cagliari a good start to the game before their few freezing home fans at the rain-drenched Sant'Elia stadium.

 Home midfielder Daniele Conti and Inter's David Suazo, a former Cagliari striker from Honduras, fired wide early in the game, while Robert Acquafresca forced a first save on 13 minutes founding Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar ready to block his deflection.

 A drive from Argentina's Hernan Crespo also flew wide before his Romanian team mate Cristian Chivu on 35 minutes curled a long-range drive against the bar above Vincenzo Marruocco.

 Coach Roberto Mancini missed his flagbearing striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but fielded a three-man attack with Crespo, Suazo and Julio Cruz, who rewarded his aggressive scheme scoring a second-half opener.

 The Argentinian on 57 minutes stunned Marruocco with a low, precise drive by the far post, drawing level with Ibrahimovic on nine goals in a scorers' table where Juve's David Trezeguet boasts 12 goals.

 Cruz missed a second goal on 78 minutes as a defender cleared his header off the goal line, but one minute later Suazo did not fail to notch his fourth goal scoring a simple tap in.