ROME (AP)

David Beckham scored from a free kick with England coach Fabio Capello looking on, but Diego Milito equalised three minutes from the end and AC Milan settled for a 1-1 draw with Genoa yesterday.

A victory would have put Milan into a tie for second in the Serie A standings with Juventus, which lost 2-1 to Udinese on goals from Italy forwards Fabio Quagliarella and Antonio Di Natale.

League leader Inter Milan won a drama-filled match 2-0 in Catania with 10 men.

Midfielder Dejan Stankovic put Inter ahead five minutes in, heading in a cross from Julio Ricardo Cruz and Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it 2-0 in the 71st, shooting into an empty net after Catania goalkeeper Benjamin Bizzarri misjudged his attempt to intercept a pass from Stankovic.

Inter lead with 49 points, while Juventus are next with 43, Milan 41 and Genoa 37.

Also, Francesco Totti returned from injury and scored in AS Roma's 2-1 win over Palermo and Fiorentina took advantage of Napoli's fourth-string goalkeeper in a 2-1 victory.

Beckham's second goal in two games arrived in the 33rd minute at San Siro, a trademark curling shot from the left of Genoa's area inside the near post.

Beckham's fellow midfielder, Andrea Pirlo, hit the crossbar twice with free kicks.

Argentine forward Milito scored his 13th goal of the season from close range, although he may have been offside.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho and striker Adriano were suspended for the game in Sicily.

After Inter beat Catania 2-1 in September, with an own-goal by Catania defender Christian Terlizzi, Mourinho suggested that his team could have won 5-1. Catania chief executive Pietro Lo Monaco replied that Mourinho had insulted all of Catania and should have "his teeth smashed in".

More verbal jabs followed and Lo Monaco was suspended for 40 days and fined €15,000 (US$20,000) by the league.