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 yesterday.
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.
Hamsik pounced again to give Napoli the 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 half-time 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.
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 lead with 22 points, three ahead of Roma who drew 0-0 at Sampdoria on Saturday.
Milan could only manage a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at the San Siro Stadium last night.
Nigel De Jong put the Rossoneri ahead after 25 minutes but the home side could not build on that lead.
Fiorentina improved after the break and took a point after Josif Ilicic’s leveller on 64 minutes.
Cesena 0
Inter 1
Icardi 32 pen;
HT: 0-1. Att: 23,000.
Red card: Leali (C) 30.
Juventus 2
Vidal 32; Llorente 64;
Palermo 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 39,900.
Lazio 2
Biglia 15; Klose 60;
Torino 1
Farnerud 53;
HT: 1-0. Att: 34,000.
Chievo 1
Zukanovic 36;
Genoa 2
Matri 72; Pinilla 84;
HT: 1-0. Att: 10,000.
Red card: Radovanovic (C) 73.
Missed penalty: Pinilla (G) 74.
Milan 1
De Jong 25;
Fiorentina 1
Ilicic 64;
HT: 1-0. Att: 42,000.
Napoli 6
Hamsik 44, 58; Higuain 68, 85, 90p; Callejon 76;
Verona 2
Hallfredsson 1; Lopez 67;
HT: 1-1. Att: 25,000.
Udinese 2
Di Natale 6; Thereau 37;
Atalanta 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 10,200.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 22 |
| Roma | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 19 |
| Udinese | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 16 |
| Sampdoria | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 16 |
| Lazio | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 8 | 15 |
| Milan | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 15 |
| Napoli | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 14 |
| Inter | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 12 |
| Genoa | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 12 |
| Verona | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 11 |
| Fiorentina | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| Cagliari | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 8 |
| Torino | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
| Empoli | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 7 |
| Sassuolo | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 |
| Atalanta | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 7 |
| Cesena | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 6 |
| Palermo | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 6 |
| Chievo | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 4 |
| Parma | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 3 |
Next fixtures
Tuesday: 20.45 Sassuolo vs Empoli.
Wednesday: 20.45 Atalanta vs Napoli; Cagliari vs Milan; Fiorentina vs Udinese; Genoa vs Juve; Inter vs Sampdoria; Palermo vs Chievo; Roma vs Cesena; Torino vs Parma.
Thursday: 20.45 Verona vs Lazio.
Top scorers
7 goals: Callejon (Napoli).
6 goals: Honda (Milan), Tevez (Juventus).
5 goals: Djordjevic (Lazio), Cassano (Parma), Di Natale (Udinese).
Lega Pro
Group A: Como vs Renate 2-0; Bassano vs Torres 0-0; Cremonese vs Venezia 2-1; Novara vs SudTirol 1-0.
Group B: Forli vs Lucchese 1-0; Carrarese vs Santarcangelo 2-2; Pistoiese vs Teramo 4-1; Ascoli vs Gubbio 2-2 San Marino vs Ancona 0-1.
Group C: Lupa Roma vs Casertana 1-1; Lamezia vs Reggina 4-0; Aversa vs Benevento 0-2; Foggia vs Catanzaro 1-1.