Serie A top-scorer Edinson Cavani missed a penalty and extended his scoreless run to eight games as second-placed Napoli’s title hopes suffered another blow in a 2-0 defeat at Chievo yesterday.

Leaders Juventus took full advantage when a stoppage-time goal by Emanuele Giaccherini gave them a 1-0 home win over Catania, taking them nine points clear with 10 games to play.

Inter’s Champions League hopes took a knock with a 1-0 home defeat by mid-table Bologna, earning them a chorus of jeers at the San Siro, and Fiorentina went fourth by winning 2-0 at Lazio.

Colombian Victor Ibarbo scored a hat-trick to give Cagliari a 3-1 win over Sampdoria, although as in their previous games, there were no fans there to watch it due to safety problems at their improvised Is Arenas home.

At the bottom, Siena came from behind to win 2-1 at Palermo in a meeting of two teams mired in the relegation zone and Pescara’s new coach Cristian Bucchi made a losing start as the bottom side lost 2-1 at Atalanta.

Mid-table Parma scored four goals, including a brilliant Amauri hat-trick, in the last quarter of an hour to beat Torino 4-1 at home.

Champions Juventus have 62 points while Napoli, on 53, are only two clear of third-placed Milan, who won 2-0 at Genoa on Friday. Fiorentina are next with 48 points after leap-frogging both Inter and Lazio who both have 47.

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri, who needs a top-two finish to qualify directly for the Champions League, was philosophical in defeat.

“They had two shots, two goals,” he told reporters.

“It’s football, there are times when things go well and times when things go badly.”

Mazzarri’s team had drawn their previous four league games and Cavani has remained stuck on 18 Serie A goals since the end of January, his goal drought including two Europa League matches.

It went from bad to worse as Boukary Drame fired Chievo ahead with a long-range shot after 12 minutes and Cyril Thereau broke clear to add another two minutes before the break.

Cavani had a chance to bring Napoli back into the game when he won a penalty but his poor kick was saved by Christian Puggioni.

Juventus struggled to break down a stubborn Catania and had to wait until the 91st minute when Giaccherini turned in a rebound, one minute after being booked for diving.

It was Catania’s second successive stoppage-time defeat following a 3-2 loss to Inter.

Alberto Gilardino volleyed the only goal for Bologna as they beat Inter at a restless San Siro and goals in each half from Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic, the latter a curling free-kick, gave Fiorentina a crucial win at Lazio.

Palermo, where coach Gian Piero Gasperini was fired and re-hired as coach in less than one month, went ahead against Siena with a close-range goal by Brazilian Anselmo just before half-time.

Switzerland midfielder Innocent Emeghara levelled early in the second half and an Alessandro Rosina penalty heaped the misery on the Sicilians who are level with Pescara at the bottom on 21 points.

Siena stayed in the drop zone but climbed to 18th and are only two points behind Genoa.

Serie A

Atalanta 2
Denis 34 pen, 67;
Pescara 1
D’Agostino 25;

HT: 1-1. Att: 16,671.

Cagliari 3
Ibarbo 18, 52, 72;
Sampdoria 1
Lopez 90+1 pen;

HT: 1-0. Closed doors.
Red card: Rossettini (C) 90.

Chievo 2
Drame 12; Thereau 43;
Napoli 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 12,000.
Missed penalty: Cavani (N) 59.

Inter 0
Bologna 1
Gilardino 57;

HT: 0-0. Att: 40,000.

Juventus 1
Giaccherini 90;
Catania 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 38,782.

Lazio 0
Fiorentina 2
Jovetic 20; Ljajic 50;

HT: 0-0. Att: 30,000.

Palermo 1
Anselmo 44;
Siena 2
Emeghara 51; Rosina 72 pen;

HT: 1-1. Att: 18,214.

Parma 4
Amauri 77, 84, 90; Sansone 80;
Torino 1
Santana 56;

HT: 0-0. Att: 12,688.

Standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Juventus	28	19	5	4	55	18	62
Napoli	28	15	8	5	47	24	53
Milan	28	15	6	7	50	32	51
Fiorentina	28	14	6	8	50	33	48
Inter	28	14	5	9	44	37	47
Lazio	28	14	5	9	37	34	47
Roma	28	13	5	10	58	49	44
Catania	28	12	6	10	36	35	42
Udinese	28	10	11	7	37	35	41
Bologna	28	10	5	13	39	36	35
Sampdoria (-1)	28	10	6	12	35	33	35
Parma	28	9	8	11	36	37	35
Cagliari	28	9	7	12	35	48	34
Atalanta (-2)	28	10	5	13	28	39	33
Torino (-1)	28	7	12	9	33	36	32
Chievo	28	9	5	14	29	44	32
Genoa	28	6	8	14	27	42	26
Siena (-6)	28	8	6	14	29	40	24
Palermo	28	3	12	13	23	41	21
Pescara	28	6	3	19	21	56	21

Top scorers
18 goals: Cavani (Napoli).
16 goals: El Shaaraway (Milan).
15 goals: Di Natale (Udinese).
13 goals: Pazzini (Milan).
12 goals: Lamela (Roma).

Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Catania vs Udinese; 20.45 Bologna vs Juventus.
Sunday: 12.30 Siena vs Cagliari. 15.00 Fiorentina vs Genoa; Milan vs Palermo; Napoli vs Atalanta; Pescara vs Chievo; Sampdoria vs Inter; Torino vs Lazio. 20.45 Roma vs Parma.

Prima Divisione ‘A’
Como vs SudTirol 2-2; Cuneo vs Tritium 1-2; Lecce vs Lumezzane 5-0; Reggiana vs Cremonese 0-1; Trapani vs Portogruaro 0-0; Treviso vs Pavia 0-0; Entella vs Feralpi-Salo 2-0.

Leading standings: Lecce 47; Trapani 46; SudTirol 41; Entella 39; Carpi, San Marino 35; Lumezzane, Pavia, FeralpiSalo 34.

Prima Divisione ‘B’
Avellino vs Viareggio 1-0; Barletta vs Fro-sinone 0-0; Benevento vs Sorrento 1-0; Carrarese vs Perugia 0-1; Catanzaro vs Pisa 1-0; Gubbio vs Prato 1-0; Latina vs Andria 1-1; Paganese vs Nocerina 0-1.

Leading standings: Avellino 45; Latina 44; Nocerina, Perugia 40; Benevento 36; Frosinone 35; Pisa 34; Catanzaro 32; Gubbio 31.