Gonzalo Higuain burst into life by scoring a hat-trick in the final half hour, his first league goals of the season, to help Rafael Benitez's erratic Napoli thrash Verona 6-2 in Serie A.
Troubled Inter scrambled a 1-0 win at Cesena thanks to a controversial first-half penalty and sending-off and leaders Juventus put their European problems behind them with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to a tame Palermo.
Elsewhere, thirty-seven-year old Antonio Di Natale scored his fifth goal of the season, an exquisite curled effort, and Cyril Thereau was also on target in Udinese's 2-0 home win over Atalanta.
Chile forward Mauricio Pinilla missed a second-half penalty but then scored an 84th-minute winner as Genoa beat Chievo 2-1, handing the home team's new coach Rolando Maran a losing start, and Germany forward Miroslav Klose gave Lazio a 2-1 win over Torino in Rome.
Seventh-placed Napoli, who have 14 points from eight games, went into their game under more pressure following a 2-0 Europa League defeat at Young Boys on Thursday when fans waited outside the stadium to protest as the team bus left the ground.
The hosts could not have made a worse start when Emil Hallfredsson volleyed Verona ahead in the first minute but Napoli responded well, took control and were rewarded when Marek Hamsik equalised just before halftime.
The Slovakian pounced again to give Napoli a 57th-minute lead and, although Nicolas Lopez levelled, it was the cue for Higuain to spring into action.
The Argentine intercepted a back pass by Panagiotis Tachtsidis to open his account, tapped in Raul Albiol's pass for his second and then converted a penalty, with Jose Callejon scoring the fourth in between.
Inter's win hinged on the 30th-minute incident when Inter forward Rodrigo Palacio went down under a challenge from Cesena goalkeeper Nicola Leali, although replays suggested the Argentine began his fall before any contact was made.
Amid furious protests, Leali was sent off, Inter awarded a penalty and Mauro Icardi beat replacement goalkeeper Federico Agliardi from the spot.
The gallant Sea Horses nearly levelled before halftime but were repeatedly caught on the break in the second half.
The win was a huge relief for Inter coach Walter Mazzarri, under intense pressure after three-goal defeats to Cagliari and Fiorentina and a draw with Napoli, and left his side on 12 points.
Midfielder Arturo Vidal and forward Fernando Llorente, with his first goal of the season, scored in each half to give titleholders Juventus their 23rd successive home win in the league.
Juventus, who lost their last two Champions League games to Atletico Madrid and Olympiakos, faced no such problems against the harmless Sicilians as they enjoyed 65 per cent of the possession.
They lead with 22 points, three ahead of Roma who drew 0-0 at Sampdoria yesterday.
MILAN MISSES CHANCE TO GO THIRD
Milan missed the chance to go third in Serie A as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fiorentina at the San Siro.
Nigel de Jong headed the Rossoneri into a 25th-minute lead, but second-half substitute Josip Ilicic fired La Viola level.
Two dropped points meant Filippo Inzaghi's side had to be content with sixth place, a point behind third-spotted Udinese, with the visitors down in 11th.
Milan went into the game on the back of two straight wins and started the match the stronger.
They went in front from an unlikely source, though, as Jeremy Menez swung in a corner from the right to the back post, the ball was headed back across goal and defensive midfielder De Jong nodded it past Neto in the Fiorentina goal.
La Viola boss Vincenzo Montella looked to shake things up in the second half in a bid to find a way back into the match.
The former striker threw on the Slovenian forward nine minutes after the break and the move paid dividends in the 72nd minute.
Ilicic advanced towards the area and, with the Milan defenders backing off, punished them by fizzing a low shot into the bottom right corner with his left foot.
Inzaghi brought on Fernando Torres for the last 10 minutes but he could not help the hosts find a winner as their hopes of closing the gap further on top two Juventus and Roma were frustrated.