Parma beat Livorno as Bologna hold Lazio

Rome, Jan 12 (IANS) Parma chalked up their first win at Livorno with a 3-0 victory which consigned the hosts to a fourth consecutive defeat in the Italian Serie A .

Amauri scored a brace for Roberto Donadoni's side who stretched their unbeaten run to nine games and moved up to seventh in the league table, Xinhua reported on Saturday.

Second-bottom Livorno, on the other hand, have lost seven of their last eight games and not won for over two months.

The visitors took the lead with only two minutes into play through former Livorno loanee Raffaele Palladino who arrived at the far post to volley home a Jonathan Biabiany cross.

Amauri doubled Parma's lead four minutes from time and the striker was on target again from the penalty spot after Emerson fouled Pedro Mendes on a miserable afternoon for Livorno.

In the other kick-off of the day, Davide Ballardini's new side Bologna held his former club Lazio to a goalless draw.

Ballardini this week replaced Stefano Pioli on a short-term deal until the end of the season and got up and running with a point to ensure Lazio are still yet to win away from home in Serie A this season.

Lazio head coach Edy Reja admitted he had expected a bigger psychological push from Lazio's victory over Inter on Monday.

"We are not sharp in physical terms and I expected a bigger psychological push after the Inter game. Instead I saw two rather worried teams," he said.

Bologna are now two points above third-bottom Sassuolo, who play Milan Sunday.