Hernan Crespo hit a hat-trick as AC Milan thrashed Lecce 5-2 to move two points short of Serie A leader Juventus. 
 
The Milan team, supported by a crowd of 60,000, got three goals from Crespo, who is on loan from Chelsea.

Andriy Shevchenko and Jon-Dahl Tomasson added the other goals while Lecce rising star Valeri Bojinov scored one goal on a free kick and set up another by midfielder Marco Cassetti.

Schevchenko, who newly won Europe's best player of 2004, showed his Golden Ball trophy to the fans before kickoff.

The defending champion piled up 38 points in the table following its 11th win of the season.

Leader Juventus was held to a 1-all draw at Parma.

Juventus Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed in an apparent game-winner in the 63rd minute but the home team, next to last in the standings, evened the score with Marco Marchionni in the 85th.

The second draw in the last two rounds gave Juventus 40 points but halved its lead over runner-up AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan achieved a crucial 2-0 win at Livorno, on controversial goals by Marco Materazzi and Christian Vieri, to hold fourth place in a tie with Sampdoria, with 27 points.

Sampdoria snapped Udinese's 10-match unbeaten streak, winning 2-0 on goals by Francesco Flachi and Marcello Castellini.

In other action, last place Atalanta scored its first win of the season by beating Fiorentina 1-0; Cagliari downed Messina 2-1 and lifted itself to the upper half of the table; Brescia and Bologna settled for a 1-1 draw which left both teams close to the relegation zone; Siena pocketed a 3-1 away win at Chievo Verona; Reggina stunned Palermo 1-0, while Lazio upset AS Roma 3-1 in a Roman derby.

Editor: Wing