Parma, Italy (My Sportsbook) - The winter break apparently slowed down Juventus.

The Serie A leaders came back after several weeks off and failed to put forth its best effort in a 1-1 draw with struggling Parma. AC Milan, meanwhile, posted a convincing 5-2 victory over Lecce on Thursday to move within two points of the leaders.

Fabio Capello's side played a strong first half and eventually took lead when Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored early in the second half. But Parma fought hard and received an equalizer from Manuel Marchionni with just four minutes left to play.

"The draw at Parma was the result of a few bad bounces, but we still should have closed out the match before. In fact, we had two or three scoring chances after we took the lead, but we did not take advantage of them," Capello said.

"Anyway, I'm satisfied with the team's performance, they showed to be in a good condition and kept the high standard until the end against such a lively opponent. However, I'm not happy about the result."

The draw was a rare positive result for Parma, which has struggled badly this season. The embattled club still is just barely above the basement in the Serie A table.

The match was overshadowed by an incident after the conclusion of the game. A group of fans for each team clashed at the Tardini to mar the match.

AC Milan used a hat trick from Hernan Crespo and goals from Andriy Shevchenko and Jon Dahl Tomasson to record its victory. The Rossoneri were able to cruise despite the dismissal of Alessandro Nesta midway through the second half.

"I am very satisfied with how we played, the way we kept going and the overall quality," AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

The good news for Milan extended beyond its win and Juve's falter, as Tomasson's goal was his second of the season. The Danish international made his return to the lineup after missing an extended period of time with a shoulder injury.

Third-place Udinese started its new year on a sour note, as they dropped a 2-0 decision at Sampdoria. Udinese, which came into the second half of the season with European aspirations, failed to extend its unbeaten streak to 12 games.

Francesco Flachi and Marcello Castellini scored Sampdoria, which moved into fifth place, even on points with Inter Milan.

Inter posted a 2-0 victory over Livorno after goals by Marco Materazzi and Christian Vieri. Inter moved within 13 points of the Serie A lead despite its well-documented struggles.

"We still feel we can be protagonists in the league," Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. "We thought so before the break, and we believe it even more now."

Lazio gave new coach Giuseppe Papadopulo a win in his first match, a 3-1 derby triumph over Roma. Paolo Di Canio, Rodriguez Cesar and Tommaso Rocchi each scored for Papadopulo and Lazio in the victory.

Roma's struggles on the defensive end of the field continued, as they have now allowed 26 goals in 17 matches this season. Antonio Cassano did score in the losing effort for Luigi Del Neri's eighth-place side.

Atalanta returned from the break and looked like a new team in 2005. The cellar-dwellars won for the first time this season, 1-0, over Fiorentina. Siena, which is also in the relegation zone, also looked like a rejuvenated side in a 3-1 road victory over Chievo. Tore Andre Flo scored twice in the win for Siena.

Cagliari and Reggina both posted wins Thursday. Reggina edged Palermo, 1-0, behind a goal from Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura. Cagliari outlasted Messina, 2-1, thanks to strikes from Gianfranco Zola and Massimo Gobbi. Brescia and Bologna played to a 1-1 tie in the other Serie A match.

The Italian Serie A will get back to work on Sunday, as each team will again take the field for the second time in four days.