ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan coasted to a 2-0 victory over Livorno at the San Siro on Saturday to open up an 11-point lead over second-placed Roma, for a few hours at least.

Honduran forward David Suazo scored both goals within four minutes of eachother in the first half, after which the reigning champions simply went into cruise control.

They had rested first-choice strike pair Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz ahead of their midweek Champions League trip to Liverpool, giving Suazo and Argentine Hernan Crespo a rare start up front.

France captain Patrick Vieira was suspended and Chilean midfield playmaker Luis Jimenez was out injured but it made no difference as Inter proved too powerful for opponents who only three days earlier had come away from the San Siro with a 1-1 draw against European champions AC Milan.

This match was over after just 18 minutes though as Suazo headed home a delightful inswinging free-kick from Romanian centre-back Cristian Chivu and was then on hand to tap home the loose ball after two defenders got in each other's way and failed to clear a cross from Brazilian left-back Maxwell, who had done well to skip past two challenges and get to the byline.

Suazo could have had a first half hat-trick but Crespo played his cross into the six yard box behind the Honduran striker with the goal begging.

Livorno put up more of a fight after the break with Giovanni Pasquale thudding the upright with a free-kick from 25 yards and then Jose Luis Vidigal forcing Inter's Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar into a fine point-blank save from a close-range header.

But Inter went straight up the other end and Suazo got to the byline before setting up Esteban Cambiasso from 12 yards but Marco Amelia was quickly off his line to block the Argentine's effort.

The victory pushed out Inter's lead at the top but AS Roma could close it back to eight points with a victory at third-placed Juventus in Saturday's late match.

Inter have won 18 and drawn just five of their 23 matches this season. They also have the best attack and the meanest defence.

AC Milan were due to travel to Parma later Saturday with a striker shortage as Pato and Ronaldo are both injured but playmaker Kaka is due to make his return.

On Sunday, Genoa and Sampdoria clash in the Genoa derby.