Carlos Tevez scored twice as Juventus moved five points clear at the top of Serie A with a 4-0 win over Verona last night.

Goals from Paul Pogba and Tevez inside the first 10 minutes put Juve in total control, though they had to wait until the second half for Roberto Pereyra to add the third before Tevez completed the job.

Napoli beat Lazio 1-0 in Rome to go third thanks to an 18th minute goal from Argentine international Gonzalo Higuain.

Sampdoria also joined Napoli on 33 points to move into fourth place as second-half goals from Gonzalo Bergessio and Roberto Soriano saw them win 2-0 at Parma.

Yet Milan’s struggles continued with another defeat at their San Siro against struggling Atalanta, with German Denis scoring the game’s only goal.

At the Juventus Stadium, the hosts’ opener came in only the third minute as Alvaro Morata laid the ball back and Pogba finished low from 25 yards, with the ball taking an awkward bounce in front of goalkeeper Rafael.

Pogba then dummied Morata’s deflected cross for Tevez to calmly sweep in from 16 yards and give the Old Lady a 2-0 lead with only seven minutes on the clock.

Andrea Pirlo went close to a third when a languid free-kick was hurriedly tipped over by Rafael.

Juventus remained on the front foot early in the second period but Pirlo and Morata were off target while Tevez headed wide when well placed.

But Juve soon added a third goal. Defender Giorgio Chiellini was the unlikely provider with a perfectly weighted through-ball which Pereyra ran on to and stroked past Rafael.

Juve were not finished and eight minutes later, Marchisio slid a neat pass into Tevez who turned, set himself and sidefooted through the legs of Rafael at the near post.

Higuain scored his seventh goal in four games against Lazio.

It came after he controlled a Dries Mertens through ball to unleash a thunderous angled shot past substitute goalie Etrit Berisha.

“We have to continue like this,” Higuain told Sky Sports Italia.

“It is important to be back in third place.”

Higuain’s brother and agent Nicolas had said earlier in the week that playing in next season’s most prestigious European competition was key but the player said he was happy at Napoli and had a contract.

Despite being without in-form midfielder Felipe Anderson and captain Stefano Mauri, Lazio dominated most of the first half but could not find an equaliser.

After Marco Parolo hit the crossbar, Luis Pedro Cavanda failed to convert a perfect Dusan Basta’s cross and headed the ball right into Rafael’s hands from a few metres out.

Sampdoria kept pace with Napoli, earning only their second away win of the season after Eder set up Bergessio’s first goal of the year after 54 minutes and Soriano added a second 16 minutes later.

The victories left Napoli and Sampdoria two points clear of Lazio in fifth.

Fiorentina, a further point behind, are still in the hunt for the third Champions League slot with Khouma Babacar’s headed winner in stoppage time earning them a precious 2-1 win at Chievo.

Milan’s mid-table mediocrity continues with their fourth loss at home this season. They have now won only once in their last 10 games.

Atalanta strung together five crisp passes that allowed Denis to beat Diego Lopez from inside the box in the 33rd minute. It leaves Milan stuck in eighth, seven points off a Champions League spot.

Serie A

Cesena 2
Brienza 43p, 85p;
Torino 3
Benassi 20; Quagliarella 22; Lopez 87;

HT: 1-2. Att: 14,910.

Chievo 1
Pellissier 72;
Fiorentina 2
Rodriguez 35; Babacar 90;

HT: 0-1. Att: 7,000.

Genoa 3
Falque 25; Fetfatzidis 53, 90p;
Sassuolo 3
Berardi 19 pen, 70; Missiroli 49;

HT: 1-1. Att: 18,000.

Juventus 4
Pogba 3; Tevez 7, 74; Pereyra 66;
Verona 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 36,722.

Lazio 0
Napoli 1
Higuain 18;

HT: 0-1. Att: 24,500.

Milan 0
Atalanta 1
Denis 33;

HT: 0-1. Att: 27,836.

Parma 0
Sampdoria 2
Bergessio 54; Soriano 71;

HT: 0-0. Att: 14,426.

Udinese 2
Allan 55; Thereau 56;
Cagliari 2
Pedro 39; Avelar 90 pen;

HT: 0-1. Att: 11,000.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Juventus	19	14	4	1	42	9	46
Roma	19	12	5	2	32	14	41
Napoli	19	9	6	4	34	24	33
Sampdoria	19	8	9	2	25	17	33
Lazio	19	9	4	6	33	22	31
Fiorentina	19	8	6	5	27	18	30
Genoa	19	7	7	5	27	23	28
Milan	19	6	8	5	27	22	26
Inter	19	6	8	5	29	25	26
Palermo	19	6	8	5	31	31	26
Sassuolo	19	5	10	4	23	26	25
Udinese	19	6	6	7	23	26	24
Torino	19	5	7	7	16	21	22
Verona	19	5	6	8	21	32	21
Atalanta	19	4	8	7	15	24	20
Empoli	19	3	10	6	17	23	19
Chievo	19	4	6	9	14	22	18
Cagliari	19	3	7	9	25	37	16
Cesena	19	1	6	12	17	39	9
Parma (-1)	19	3	1	15	18	41	9

Top scorers
13 goals: Tevez (Juventus).
10 goals: Icardi (Inter), Dybala (Palermo), Higuain (Napoli).
9 goals: Callejon (Napoli), Menez (Milan).

Next fixtures

Tomorrow: Coppa Italia, Last 16 – 21.00 Roma vs Empoli.
Wednesday: Coppa Italia, Last 16 – 18.00 Fiorentina vs Atalanta. 21.00 Inter vs Sampdoria.
Thursday: Coppa Italia, Last 16 – 21.00 Napoli vs Udinese.
Saturday: Serie A – 18.00 Cagliari vs Sassuolo. 20.45 Lazio vs Milan.
Sunday: Serie A – 15.00 Verona vs Atalanta; Inter vs Torino; Juventus vs Chievo; Parma vs Cesena; Sampdoria vs Palermo. 20.45 Fiorentina vs Roma.
Monday: Serie A – 19.00 Empoli vs Udinese. 21.00 Napoli vs Genoa.

Serie B
Carpi vs Livorno - 1-2
Bologna vs Perugia - today, 20.30