Rome - Juventus's Mohamed Sissoko is possibly the most illustrious victim in a Serie A weekend that saw several big teams lose players to serious injuries.

Juve coach Claudio Ranieri only fielded the key midfielder late in the game against Torino on Saturday to spare him for Tuesday's Champions League tie with Chelsea.

But the last 10 minutes of the city derby were fatal for the Mali footballer who suffered a fractured left foot - a setback for Juve who remain seven points behind leaders Inter.

Rome - Juventus late Saturday kept the pace of Serie A leaders Inter Milan edging Torino 1-0 through a late goal from international defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The win in the high-voltage city derby pushed Juve on to 56 points from 27 games, with reigning champions Inter leading on 63 after beating Genoa 2-0 earlier Saturday.

Rome - Sweden's ace Zlatan Ibrahimovic resumed his scoring habits Saturday, opening the scoring in a 2-0 beating of Genoa that Mario Balotelli sealed in the second half.

The Serie A leaders beefed up their lead on Juventus and beat Genoa on home turf for the first time this season. The game was also Genoa's first without a goal scored before their home crowd.

As both sides took off at a hammering pace, the Swede was deadly in the second minute, displaying all his class to control a long feed by Dejan Stankovic and aim a perfect lob past Rubens Rubinho.

Rome  - Roma had captain Daniele De Rossi sent off as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by visiting Udinese in the Serie A Saturday to dent their pursuit of a Champions League berth.

Roma are now level with Genoa and one point behind Fiorentina, in the fourth Champions League qualifying place, who could improve their tally Sunday when Palermo are the visitors.

Brazilian defender Felipe put Udinese ahead in the second half before an equalizer from substitute Mirko Vucinic.

Rome - AC Milan refused to confirm reports Friday that a deal has been agreed with Los Angeles Galaxy to extend the loan contract of England football star David Beckham.

"We are continuing the negotiation and we are heading in the right direction, but that Beckham remains at Milan is not yet official," the ANSA news agency quoted club vice president Adriano Galliani as saying.

Rome - Pope Benedict XVI, during his expected visit to the Holy Land in May, is not scheduled to enter an Israeli Holocaust museum which contains a controversial caption on wartime pope Pius XII, Israel's Vatican envoy said Friday.

Ambassador Mordechay Lewy referred to the pontiff's trip during a conference in Rome on Jerusalem's holy sites, the ANSA news agency reported.

The Vatican has yet to confirm the pontiff's visit to the Holy Land which is likely to include visits to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.