Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) and Parma defender Marco Rossi jostle for the ball during their Serie A match on Sunday. Inter won on two late goals by the Swedish striker.(Photo: Shanghai Daily) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 22 -- Serie A leader Inter Milan rallied to beat Parma 3-2 at home on Sunday after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's controversial late double in foggy conditions.

    Inter, which maintains its seven-point advantage at the halfway stage of the season, was 1-2 down with two minutes to go when Parma defender Fernando Couto was adjudged to have handled an Ibrahimovic shot off the line.

    Replays were inconclusive and despite Parma protests that he had used his head, Couto was sent off and Ibrahimovic converted the penalty before chesting down and firing in a stoppage-time winner with Parma's defense weakened.

    "We didn't play very well. A great player has won it for us at the end," Inter coach Roberto Mancini, celebrating his 200th game in charge, told Sky Sport.

    "It seems to me that the ball touched his head and then his hand," he added when watching a replay of the penalty incident.

    Second-placed AS Roma had earlier put pressure on Inter with a 2-0 home win over Catania and for a time it looked like the champion would suffer its first league defeat of the season and its lead would be cut to four points.

    Esteban Cambiasso put Inter ahead on half an hour when he sliced in after Luis Jimenez's deep corner but Parma was always a threat and scored five minutes before the break through Luca Cigarini's superb strike.

    Inter handed a debut to loan signing Maniche while Parma, which had coach Domenico Di Carlo sent off for protesting the penalty, brought on new striker Cristiano Lucarelli.

    Roma's win came courtesy of Ludovic Giuly's eighth-minute strike and Daniele De Rossi blasting home a second-half penalty in the absence of flu victim Francesco Totti.

    Juventus, in third, could only draw 0-0 at home to Sampdoria and is now 12 adrift of Inter.

    David Trezeguet had a double effort cleared off the line with replays again not proving whether the ball had crossed the line after his second attempt.    

    AC Milan was also heading for a goalless draw until substitute Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to secure a 1-0 win at fifth-placed Udinese, which lost fourth spot to Fiorentina on Saturday when the Florence side beat Torino 2-1.

    Carlo Ancelotti again fielded a Brazilian front three with Ronaldo hitting the post in the first half and teenager Pato combining well with Kaka to slip in Gilardino for the winner.

    In France, Lens upset champion Lyon 3-0, winning for the second time in five days and ending a three-game league losing streak with second-half goals from Toifilou Maoulida, Milan Bisevac, and Abdou Kader Mangane.

    It still left Lens inside the relegation zone in 18th place with 23 points. Despite suffering its fifth loss of the season, Lyon remained three points atop Ligue 1 with 42 points.

    Earlier, Nice beat Nancy 1-0 to move into fourth place.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies)