Napoli completed a Milanese double with a 3-0 victory at the San Siro against 10-man Inter last night to demonstrate their title credentials.
Just two weeks after beating champions Milan 3-1 at home, Walter Mazzarri’s team took another impressive scalp.
Hugo Campagnaro, Christian Maggio and Marek Hamsik scored the goals while Inter’s Joel Obi and coach Claudio Ranieri both saw red.
Napoli fought for the title last season but missed out as they picked up only one point in four games against their two Milanese scudetto rivals. But already this season they have shown they are a different proposition and ahead of today’s games, are back on top.
Inter, meanwhile, are languishing down among the basement sitters.
With Diego Milito pulling up with a calf problem, Ranieri opted for Giampaolo Pazzini alongside Diego Forlan in attack.
There were few chances until an explosive incident just before the break.
Obi pushed Maggio as he was storming into the box and the referee pointed to the spot.
Obi was already on a yellow card as he’d been booked earlier in the game for a foul on Ezequiel Lavezzi. TV replays showed his push on Maggio was outside the box but the referee gave a penalty while showing a second yellow card to the Nigerian.
With Obi trudging off the pitch, Julio Cesar saved Hamsik’s penalty but Campagnaro was the quickest to the rebound and slammed home at the near post.
That sparked a period of irritation in which Inter captain Javier Zanetti and team-mate Cesar were both booked for screaming in the referee’s face while coach Ranieri was given his marching orders for doing likewise at the break.
Napoli put the game to bed 11 minutes into the second period when Maggio made another burst from deep and although Yuto Nagatomo was ahead of him, he hesitated as Cesar came out, allowing the Napoli wing-back to stretch out a leg and lob the goalkeeper.
Walter Gargano then played in Hamsik 15 minutes from time and the Slovakia midfielder finished with aplomb.
Roma soar
Earlier, Roma moved up among the leaders after recording their second straight victory with a 3-1 success over previously unbeaten Atalanta.
Bojan Krkic and Pablo Osvaldo gave Luis Enrique’s team a 2-0 half-time lead and although German Denis pulled a goal back early in the second period, Brazilian Simplicio sealed the three points late on.
Having taken over the club in the summer Enrique needed six games to finally register a win but at the Stadio Olimpico the team looked like they were finally starting to gel.
The hosts went ahead on 20 minutes when Daniele de Rossi clipped the ball over the top and Bojan controlled it on the run before firing across goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.
The second came on 31 minutes as Aleandro Rosi headed the ball back into the danger zone and Osvaldo got past an advancing defensive line and Consigli to tap into an empty net.
Atalanta earned a lifeline three minutes into the second period as Denis headed home a cross from the right.
But nine minutes from time Simplicio played a one-two with Pjanic and then dinked the ball over Consigli for the decisive third.
Serie A
Roma 3
Bojan 20; Osvaldo 31; Simplicio 81;
Atalanta 1
Denis 48;
HT: 2-0. Att: 36,200.
Inter 0
Napoli 3
Campagnaro 43; Maggio 56; Hamsik 75;
HT: 0-1. Att: 64,824.
Red card: Obi (I) 41.
Missed penalty: Hamsik (N) 43.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Napoli | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 10 |
| Juventus | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 |
| Udinese | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| Roma | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
| Genoa | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 7 |
| Fiorentina | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Palermo | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| Cagliari | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Chievo | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Siena | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Lazio | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Milan | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Catania | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Atalanta (-6) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| Novara | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| Inter | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 4 |
| Lecce | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Parma | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Bologna | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| Cesena | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
Playing today – 15.00
Cesena vs Chievo
Fiorentina vs Lazio
Juventus vs Milan - 20.45
Lecce vs Cagliari
Novara vs Catania - 12.30
Palermo vs Siena
Parma vs Genoa
Udinese vs Bologna
Leading scorers
4 goals: Denis (Atalanta), Palacio (Genoa).
3 goals: Giovinco (Parma), Milito (Inter), Miccoli (Palermo), Di Natale (Udinese), Cavani (Napoli), Osvaldo (Roma).
Next fixtures
Saturday, Oct. 15: 18.00 Catania vs Inter. 20.45 Milan vs Palermo; Napoli vs Parma.
Sunday, Oct. 16: 12.30 Cesena vs Fiorentina. 15.00 Atalanta vs Udin-ese; Cagliari vs Siena; Chievo vs Juventus; Genoa vs Lecce; Novara vs Bologna. 20.45 Lazio vs Roma.
Serie B
Bari 1 - Livorno 0
Cittadella 1 - Nocerina 3
Empoli 2 - Padova 4
Grosseto 3 - Ascoli 3
Gubbio 1 - Verona 1
Modena 1 - Brescia 1
Pescara 5 - AlbinoLeffe 3
Reggina 1 - Juve Stabia 2
Standings: Padova, Torino 17; Brescia, Sassuolo 15; Grosseto 13; Sampdoria, Pescara 12; Livorno, Verona, Bari 11; Reggina 10; Nocerina 8; AlbinoLeffe, Cittadella 7; Juve Stabia (-1), Varese, Empoli 6; Crotone (-1), Modena 5; Vicenza, Gubbio 3; Ascoli (-7) 1.