Inter routed hapless Sassuolo 7-0 for the second season in a row yesterday with Argentine striker Mauro Icardi grabbing a hat-trick and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo scoring twice.
Rafael Benitez’s problems at Napoli mounted as they lost 1-0 at home to modest Chievo after Gonzalo Higuain missed a first-half penalty and Maxi Lopez struck early in the second half for the visitors.
Benitez, who took a week off before the match, was already under pressure after Napoli lost their Champions League play-off to Athletic Bilbao.
Stefano Okaka scored a brilliant individual goal to help Sampdoria beat Torino 2-0 and was then told by coach Sinisa Mihajlovic that it was time to make up for wasting “six or seven years” of his career.
Icardi got Inter off to a flying start when he beat Andrea Consigli at the third attempt from Mateo Kovacic’s through ball after three minutes.
Kovacic provided a clinical finish for his first Serie A goal and Icardi curled in his second as Inter went 3-0 ahead in half an hour.
Osvaldo, signed on loan from Southampton, turned in a rebound just before half-time and Icardi completed his hat-trick when he scored from a narrow angle from a Kovacic pass in the 53rd minute.
Argentine-born Osvaldo struck again with an easy finish from Fredy Guarin’s pass and the Colombian completed the scoring to leave Inter with four points from two games, and no goals conceded.
Napoli missed a host of chances against Chievo, including a Higuain penalty which was brilliantly saved by Francesco Bardi midway through the first half.
Lopez scored Chievo’s winner with an angled drive seconds after Bardi made another good save to deny Juan Camilo Zuniga.
Okaka scored the best goal of the day when he ran from the halfway line, held off a challenge from Emiliano Moretti and flew past Kamil Glik before scoring from a tight angle.
“He’s good technically and physically strong, but up to now he has done nothing,” said Mihajlovic.
“He has wasted six or seven years. Now, he has to make up for lost time. He could still become one of Italy’s best forwards.”
Lazio chalked up their first win when Antonio Candreva volleyed the first, Marco Parolo headed the second and Stefano Mauri completed the scoring from Miroslav Klose’s pass in a 3-0 win over promoted Cesena.
Milan beat Parma 5-4
In the late kick-off, Milan edged a nine-goal thriller with Parma at the Stadio Tardini to join Juventus and Roma at the top of Serie A.
Jeremy Menez was on target twice, once from the penalty spot, in a game which saw both sides finish with 10 men, Daniele Bonera and Felipe both receiving their marching orders.
Milan were never behind, but Parma refused to lie down with Antonio Cassano equalising Giacomo Bonaventura’s opener and Felipe bringing them back into the game after Keisuke Honda and Menez had given the Rossoneri a cushion.
Nigel De Jong restored Milan’s two-goal advantage, but Alessandro Lucarelli replied before Menez thought he had put the result beyond doubt.
An own goal from Mattia De Sciglio gave Parma hope, but they were unable to find an equaliser to round off one of the most spectacular games in Serie A in years.
Serie A
Played yesterday
Cagliari 1
Cossu 85 pen;
Atalanta 2
Estigarribia 4; Boakye 67;
HT: 0-1. Att: 12,000.
Fiorentina 0
Genoa 0
Att: 30,000.
Red card: Roncaglia (G) 73.
Inter 7
Icardi 4, 30, 53; Kovacic 21; Osvaldo 43, 72; Guarin 74;
Sassuolo 0
HT: 4-0. Att: 39,500.
Red card: Berardi (S) 60.
Lazio 3
Candreva 19; Parolo 56; Mauri 90;
Cesena 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 25,000.
Napoli 0
Chievo 1
Maxi Lopez 49;
HT: 0-0. Att: 39,157.
Missed penalty: Higuain (N) 27.
Parma 4
Cassano 27; Felipe 51; Lucarelli 73; De Sciglio 89og;
Milan 5
Bonaventura 25; Honda 37; Menez 45p, 79; De Jong 68;
HT: 1-3. Att: 13,000.
Red cards: Bonera (M) 58; Felipe (P) 77.
Sampdoria 2
Gabbiadini 34; Okaka 79;
Torino 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 27,000.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Milan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Roma | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Juventus | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Inter | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Sampdoria | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Atalanta | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Lazio | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Napoli | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Udinese | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Chievo | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Cesena | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Palermo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Verona | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cagliari | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Genoa | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Fiorentina | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Torino | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Sassuolo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Parma | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Empoli | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Playing today
Verona vs Palermo - 20.45
Top scorers
3 goals: Icardi (Inter), Menez (Milan).
2 goals: Osvaldo (Inter), Di Natale (Udinese), Honda (Milan).
Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Cesena vs Empoli. 20.45 Milan vs Juventus.
Sunday: 12.30 Chievo vs Parma. 15.00 Genoa vs Lazio; Roma vs Cagliari; Sassuolo vs Sampdoria. 18.00 Atalanta vs Fiorentina; Udinese vs Napoli. 20.45 Palermo vs Inter; Torino vs Verona.
Serie B
Played yesterday
Vicenza vs Ternana - 0-1
Playing today
Livorno vs Latina - 20.30