Andrea Pirlo’s free kicks and a stunning entrance from Sebastian Giovinco undid Milan as Juventus recovered from conceding a goal after only 20 seconds to beat their bitter rivals 3-2 in Serie A last night.
Napoli made light of injured striker Gonzalo Higuain’s absence when they brushed aside Livorno 4-0 to stay on the heels of Serie A leaders Roma.
Parma, inspired by Antonio Cassano, played the entire second half with 10 men and still beat Sassuolo 3-1 while Genoa snatched a late 1-1 draw at Catania as coach Gian Piero Gasperini returned for a second stint at the club.
At the Juventus Stadium, Sulley Muntari put Milan ahead straight from the kick off before Pirlo levelled direct from a free kick in the 15th minute.
Giovinco gave Juventus the lead in the 69th minute, two minutes after coming on as a substitute, and Giorgio Chiellini volleyed in the third after another Pirlo free kick rebounded off the crossbar.
Struggling Milan had Philippe Mexes sent off while Muntari scored a late consolation. The win left Juventus level on 19 points with Napoli in second spot, two behind leaders Roma. Milan are 12th with eight points
After suffering their first defeat of the season in the Champions League at Arsenal on Tuesday, Napoli were quickly back on track when Goran Pandev fired them ahead after three minutes.
Dries Martens burst out of defence to slip the ball to the Macedonian who scored with an angled left-foot shot.
Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler added the second when his curling 30-metre shot slipped through Francesco Bardi’s hands in the 26th minute and Innocent Emeghara hit the post in a rare attack for the visitors just before the break.
Jose Callejon and Marek Hamsik added further goals in the second half as Higuain’s absence due to a calf muscle injury went unnoticed.
Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante was dismissed in first-half stoppage time for a foul which led Domenico Berardi coverting a penalty for Sassuolo’s goal.
Parma, who had gone ahead through Raffaele Palladino after 32 minutes, still took the points when Aleandro Rosi and Cassano, who set up the other two goals, scored in a five-minute spell midway through the second half.
Sassuolo had Francesco Magnanelli sent off three minutes from time.
Catania defender Nicola Legrottaglie put through his own goal with three minutes to go to give Genoa a 1-1 draw on Gasperini’s return. Previously in charge for four years at the club ending in 2010, Gasperini replaced Fabio Liverani who was fired after three games.
Elsewhere, Eder converted a stoppage time penalty to give winless Sampdoria a 2-2 draw at home to Torino and Udinese beat Cagliari 2-0.
Serie A
Bologna 1
Diamanti 52 pen;
Verona 4
Cacciatore 22; Iturbe 29; Toni 57; Jorginho 90;
HT: 0-2. Att: 20,000.
Catania 1
Barrientos 59;
Genoa 1
Legrottaglie 87og;
HT: 0-0. Att: 12,482.
Juventus 3
Pirlo 15; Giovinco 69; Chiellini 75;
Milan 2
Muntari 1, 90;
HT: 1-1. Att: 39,594.
Red card: Mexes (M) 75.
Lazio 0
Fiorentina 0
Att: 31,000.
Napoli 4
Pandev 3; Inler 26; Callejon 54; Hamsik 83;
Livorno 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 41,000.
Parma 3
Palladino 32; Rosi 70; Cassano 76;
Sassuolo 1
Berardi 45 pen;
HT: 1-1. Att: 10,671.
Red cards: Mirante (P) 45; Magnanelli (S) 88.
Sampdoria 2
Sansone 41; Eder 90 pen;
Torino 2
Immobile 66; Cerci 76 pen;
HT: 1-0. Att: 20,480.
Udinese 2
Danilo 33; Di Natale 53;
Cagliari 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 13,000.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Roma | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| Napoli | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 19 |
| Juventus | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 19 |
| Inter | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 14 |
| Verona | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 13 |
| Fiorentina | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 12 |
| Lazio | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| Udinese | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Torino | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Parma | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
| Atalanta | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Milan | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
| Livorno | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Cagliari | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
| Genoa | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 5 |
| Catania | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
| Chievo | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 4 |
| Sampdoria | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
| Bologna | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 3 |
| Sassuolo | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 2 |
Top scorers
6 goals: Cerci (Torino).
5 goals: Rossi (Fiorentina), Hamsik (Napoli).
Next fixtures
Saturday, Oct. 19: 18.00 Cagliari vs Catania; Roma vs Napoli. 20.45 Milan vs Udinese.
Sunday, Oct. 20: 12.30 Atalanta vs Lazio. 15.00 Fiorentina vs Juventus; Genoa vs Chievo; Verona vs Parma; Livorno vs Sampdoria; Sassuolo vs Bologna. 20.45 Torino vs Inter.
Prima Divisione ‘A’
AlbinoLeffe vs Pro Vercelli 2-2; FeralpiSalo vs Carrarese 0-0; Savona vs Como 1-0; Pavia vs Venezia 0-1; San Marino vs Pro Patria 1-2; Reggiana vs Cremonese 1-2; SudTirol vs Lumezzane 1-1; Vicenza vs V. Entella 1-1.
Leading standings: Cremonese 12; P. Vercelli, Entella 11; AlbinoLeffe 10.
Prima Divisione ‘B’
Benevento vs Nocerina 1-0; Frosinone vs Paganese 2-1; Prato vs Perugia 2-2; Grosseto vs Ascoli 0-1; Pisa vs Pontedera 1-2; Lecce vs Barletta 0-0; Salernitana vs L’Aquila 0-1; Viareggio vs Gubbio 2-2.
Leading standings: Pontedera 16; L’Aquila, Frosinone 13; Pisa 11.