Goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Christian Maggio helped Napoli to a 2-0 home win against Udinese last night and prevent their visitors returning to the top of Serie A.
That result ended Udinese’s unbeaten start to the season and allowed Juventus, who beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Tuesday, to remain at the top.
Lazio could have earned that honour but they were held to 1-1 draw at home to Catania and drop to third, a point behind Juve in the congested table.
Napoli looked to have got a flying start as Marek Hamsik headed home Lavezzi’s free-kick off Kwadwo Asamoah but the effort was ruled out for a marginal offside.
The deadlock was broken on 20 minutes with a goal of sumptuous quality as Lavezzi played a one-two with Edinson Cavani, whose inventive return pass hooked over his head was bettered only by Lavezzi’s volleyed finish.
It was the Argentine striker’s first goal at the San Paolo stadium in a year and a day and the first time Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic had been beaten in more than 400 minutes.
The second came a minute before the break as Blerim Dzemaili crossed from the left and Maggio leapt like a salmon to power home a header.
Last season, when Lazio narrowly missed out on qualification for the Champions League to Udinese, many people said what they lacked was a goal-scorer.
They seem to have put that right with veteran German Miroslav Klose now in their ranks.
On 17 minutes he bravely threw himself into the mix to head home Cristian Brocchi’s right-wing cross at the back post despite the attentions of Giuseppe Bellusci.
But a horrible defensive error from Marius Stankevicius gifted Gonzalo Bergessio a free shot from 15 yards and the Argentine made no mistake, although Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti probably could have done better.
Many eyes will now be on rapidly rising Milan who thumped Parma 4-1 to move up to fifth, just two points off the top.
It was the second time in successive games that they hit four goals following Sunday’s stunning come-from-behind 4-3 win at Lecce, in which they trailed 3-0 at the break.
In that match Kevin-Prince Boateng scored a hat-trick and this time it was the turn of Antonio Nocerino.
The first owed much to luck as he benefited from a ricochet and some hesitant defending to poke home past Antonio Mirante.
The goalkeeper could do nothing about his second, a stunning left-foot volley from 20 yards into the top corner.
His third came in injury-time as he headed home a peach of a cross from Antonio Cassano.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had used his strength to hold off Rolf Feltscher and slip the ball under Mirante for the third while Sebastian Giovinco scored Parma’s consolation.
Inter continue to struggle and remain fifth from bottom after a 1-1 draw at Atalanta that ensured they have yet to win successive games in the league this season.
Wesley Sneijder gave the Nerazzurri the lead on 32 minutes with a shot that took a huge deflection off Luca Cigarini to deceive goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.
But just before the break German Denis’s clever movement in the box gave him a yard of space on marker Cristian Chivu to head home Maximiliano Moralez’s cross.
It could have been worse for Inter as substitute goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi had to save Denis’s weak penalty a minute from time to rescue a point after Chivu’s clumsy foul on Atalanta’s Guido Marilungo.
Serie A
Summaries
Atalanta 1
Denis 44;
Inter 1
Sneijder 32;
HT: 1-1. Att: 35,000.
Missed penalty: Denis (A) 90.
Cesena 1
Candreva 45 pen;
Cagliari 1
Nene 20 pen;
HT: 0-1. Att: 14,812.
Chievo 0
Bologna 1
Acquafresca 53;
HT: 0-0. Att: 5,000.
Genoa 2
Jankovic 38; Kucka 89;
Roma 1
Borini 82;
HT: 1-0. Att: 20,000.
Lazio 1
Klose 17;
Catania 1
Bergessio 63;
HT: 1-0. Att: 30,000.
Milan 4
Nocerino 30,32,90; Ibrahimovic 73;
Parma 1
Giovinco 78;
HT: 2-0. Att: 36,937.
Napoli 2
Lavezzi 20; Maggio 44;
Udinese 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 40,000.
Novara 1
Gemiti 80;
Siena 1
Calaio 17;
HT: 0-1. Att: 6,000.
Played Tuesday
Juventus 2
Bonucci 13; Matri 65;
Fiorentina 1
Jovetic 57;
HT: 0-1. Att: 35,517.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 16 |
| Udinese | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 15 |
| Lazio | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 15 |
| Napoli | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 14 |
| Milan | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 14 |
| Cagliari | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 13 |
| Genoa | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
| Roma | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 11 |
| Catania | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Siena | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 10 |
| Palermo | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Atalanta (-6) | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Fiorentina | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Chievo | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Parma | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 9 |
| Inter | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 8 |
| Bologna | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 7 |
| Novara | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 6 |
| Lecce | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 4 |
| Cesena | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
Playing today
Palermo vs Lecce - 20.45
Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Catania vs Napoli; Roma vs Milan. 20.45 Inter vs Juve.
Sunday: 12.30 Siena vs Chievo. 15.00 Bologna vs Atalanta; Fiorentina vs Genoa; Lecce vs Novara; Parma vs Cesena; Udinese vs Palermo. 20.45 Cagliari vs Lazio.
Top scorers
6 goals: Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma).
5 goals: Palacio (Genoa), Jovetic (Fiorentina), Klose (Lazio), Denis (Atalanta).
4 goals: Morales (Atalanta), Osvaldo (Roma), Nocerino (Milan), Calaio (Siena), Matri (Juventus).