( dpa ) - Serie A leaders Inter Milan ended an eight-game winning run Sunday as they settled for a 0-0 draw at Udinese after being reduced to 10 men.
Second-place Roma beat Palermo 1-0 Saturday and are now within five points of Inter, who sit on 50 points from 20 games, while third-place Juventus can advance to 40 if they win at Livorno late Sunday.
Inter remained unbeaten and ran minor risks in Udine despite the dismissal on 21 minutes of Brazilian midfielder Cesar, who received two bookings in one minute.
Earlier, defender Andrea Dossena fired in a low long-range drive before Esteban Cambiasso missed a big chance for Inter on 12 minutes, firing high after some good buildup work by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Julio Cruz also fired wide on 41 minutes as Ibra set him up in the area and, right after the break, the hosts' goalkeeper Samir Handanovic offered an ill-conceived feed to Ibra, but managed to save the following shot from Cruz.
Ibra threatened again with a free kick and a fierce post-grazing shot, while Udinese's strikers Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella missed a couple of chances each.
Fiorentina won their Tuscany derby with Empoli 2-0 to go joint- third with Juve, four points above Udinese. Romanian striker Adrian Mutu scored the opening goal and drew level on 13 goals with league's top strikers Ibrahimovic and David Trezeguet of Juventus.
On Saturday, sixth-place Sampdoria edged Siena 1-0 and AC Milan Sunday beat 10-man Genoa 2-0 as young Brazilian star Alexandre Pato scored a brace, for a total of three goals in as many games.
Milan, lie mid-table on 24 points but with two games in hand. They struggled in the first half and secured the win after the dismissal of Genoa keeper Rubinho for handling the ball outside the area as he tried to stop the spurting Pato.
Atalanta were held to a 2-2 home as lowly Reggina rallied from two down, bottom-side Cagliari came from behind to beat Napoli 2-1, while Catania and Parma drew by the same 0-0 scoreline as Torino and Lazio.