Fiorentina hit four goals before half-time, including a cheeky backheel by Gonzalo Rodriguez and a Panenka-style penalty from Khouma Babacar, to beat Frosinone 4-1 and join Inter at the top of Serie A yesterday.
Napoli dropped two points behind the leading pair and missed out on a sixth successive league win after squandering numerous chances in a 0-0 draw at Genoa, one of three goalless games among the five played in the afternoon.
Struggling Bologna gave new coach Roberto Donadoni a winning start when they beat Atalanta 3-0 with second-half goals from Emanuele Giaccherini, Mattia Destro and Franco Brienza.
Former Italy player and coach Donadoni had a nightmare season last year with Parma who finished bottom of the table amid financial problems and were later expelled from the professional league.
Stylish Fiorentina quickly took control although they needed a freak goal from Ante Rebic to break the deadlock in the 24th minute.
The Croat swung over what appeared to be a cross from the right but the ball looped over goalkeeper Massimo Zappino and went in off the far post. Rebic struck the post again in the next attack and it did not take long for Fiorentina to double their lead.
Rodriguez got away from the Frosinone defence at the near post and directed Matias Fernandez’s free-kick into the net after 29 minutes.
Babacar added the third goal two minutes later after Fernandez had been fouled in the area.
The Senegalese scored with a dinked shot down the middle known as a ‘Panenka’, named after the former Czechoslovakia player who is credited with pioneering the technique.
Mario Suarez scored the fourth in the 43rd minute when he nipped in to intercept a pass out of defence and placed his shot past the hapless Zappino.
Fourth from bottom Frosinone kept their goal intact after the break and made the scoreline look more respectable when Alessandro Frara pulled one back three minutes from time.
Paulo Sousa’s team moved on to 24 points from 11 games, alongside Inter who beat Roma 1-0 on Saturday. They are followed by Roma on 23 and Napoli on 22.
Napoli had only themselves to blame as they failed to win at Genoa.
Marek Hamsik wasted one of their best chances when Lorenzo Insigne’s lofted pass gave him a free shot on goal but he mis-hit his effort and allowed Mattia Perin to save.
Insigne and Gonzalo Higuain got in each other’s way as they both went for David Lopez’s cross at the far post and Perin did well to turn away Manolo Gabbiadini’s free-kick in stoppage time.
Milan halt Lazio at Olimpico
In the late kick-off, Milan made it three wins in a row when they halted Lazio’s 100 per cent record at home this season with a 3-1 win at a semi-deserted Olympic Stadium.
Andrea Bertolacci gave the visitors a 1-0 lead but then he had to leave the pitch with injury.
Andrea Cerci was denied by the Lazio woodwork but substitute Phillippe Mexes was on the right spot to head home Milan’s second on 53 minutes.
Carlos Bacca gave Milan a 3-0 lead before Ricardo Kishna pulled one back late on when he fired past keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Serie A
Bologna 3
Giaccherini 52; Destro 59; Brienza 85;
Atalanta 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 15,748.
Carpi 0
Verona 0
Att: 7,100.
Fiorentina 4
Rebic 24; Rodriguez 29; Babacar 31 pen; Suarez 43;
Frosinone 1
Frara 87;
HT: 4-0. Att: 30,000.
Genoa 0
Napoli 0
Att: 27,000.
Lazio 1
Kishna 85;
Milan 3
Bertolacci 25; Mexes 53; Bacca 79;
HT: 0-1. Att: 36,000.
Udinese 0
Sassuolo 0
Att: 14,000.
Playing today
Chievo vs Sampdoria - 19.00
Palermo vs Empoli - 21.00
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Fiorentina | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 9 | 24 |
| Inter | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 24 |
| Roma | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 13 | 23 |
| Napoli | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 22 |
| Sassuolo | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 19 |
| Milan | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 16 | 19 |
| Lazio | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 18 |
| Atalanta | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 17 |
| Sampdoria | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 14 | 15 |
| Juventus | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 15 |
| Torino | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
| Chievo | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 12 |
| Genoa | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 12 |
| Udinese | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 12 |
| Empoli | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 11 |
| Palermo | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 11 |
| Frosinone | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 10 |
| Bologna | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 9 |
| Verona | 11 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 6 |
| Carpi | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 23 | 6 |
Top scorers
8 goals: Eder (Sampdoria), Higuain (Napoli).
6 goals: Insigne (Napoli), Kalinic (Fiorentina), Bacca (Milan).
Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Verona vs Bologna; 20.45 Milan vs Atalanta.
Sunday: 12.30 Torino vs Inter. 15.00 Empoli vs Juventus; Frosinone vs Genoa; Palermo vs Chievo; Roma vs Lazio; Sassuolo vs Carpi. 18.00 Napoli vs Udinese. 20.45 Sampdoria vs Fiorentina.
Serie B
Spezia vs Entella - 0-0
Playing today:
Cagliari vs Vicenza - 20.30
Standings: Cesena 23; Crotone 21; Cagliari, Livorno 20; Bari 19; Pescara 18; Brescia, Spezia 17; Vicenza 14; Avellino, Latina, Novara (-2), Trapani, Entella 13; Perugia, Modena 12; Salernitana, Pro Vercelli 11; Virtus Lanciano, Ascoli, Ternana 10; Como 7.
Lega Pro
Group A: Pro Patria vs Pro Piacenza 0-1; Cuneo vs AlbinoLeffe 2-2.
Group B: Savona vs Pisa 2-0; L’Aquila vs Santarcangelo 1-1; Carrarese vs Teramo 1-1; Prato vs Pistoiese 1-0.
Group C: Foggia vs Messina 2-0; Juve Stabia vs Catania 2-1; Casertana vs Bene-vento 2-1; F. Andria vs Ischia 1-2; Catanzaro vs Matera 0-1.