AC Milan moved to the top of Serie A with a 3-1 win over Chievo at home, but they were made to work hard for the victory.
Alexandre Pato scored a brace in the first half, and his Brazilian countryman Robinho added the third in the stoppage time.
An own goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 71st minute gave a glimpse of hope to Chievo, who pushed for the equalizer until Robinho's goal killed them off.
Milan was top with 14 points, one ahead of Lazio and three of Inter Milan. Both teams play on Sunday.
Massimiliano Allegri, coach of AC Milan, conceded that his team took their foot off the accelerator in the second half.
"In the first half it was an excellent performance, while after the break we were a little less determined," he said.
"Only in the final minutes did we step the pressure back up and we earned the result.
"It was especially important to win today so that we could be in the best shape for Real Madrid," he added.
Milan will travel to Real Madrid on Tuesday in a Champions League group G clash.