(CNN) -- Two goals from Maicon gave Serie A champions Inter Milan a hard-fought 2-1 win at Siena, extending their lead to nine points at the top of the table.

Maicon celebrates his opening goal in Inter Milan's 2-1 victory away at Siena.

The result was Inter's eight eighth consecutive league victory and ensured they went into the three-week Serie A winter break with a sizeable advantage over their main rivals.

Defender Maicon neatly sealed another three points with just seven minutes remaining after a header from Houssine Kharja's header just before halftime had cancelled out the Brazilian's 35th-minute opening goal.

The first goal came when Mario Balotelli sent over a cross which Maicon somehow managed to poke home from inside the six-yard box despite being surrounded by a posse of Siena defenders.

But Siena levelled when Kharja threw himself full length in front of Maxwell to nod home Cristiano Del Grosso's cross from close-range.

The win lifts Inter onto 42 points from 17 games, nine points ahead of second-placed Juventus -- who visit Atalanta on Sunday.

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Earlier on Saturday, Lazio defeated Palermo 1-0 thanks to a 66th-minute goal from substitute Tommaso Rocchi.

It was the Rome side's first league win in six weeks and lifted them up to sixth place in the table.