Hernanes scored twice against his former club Lazio to launch Inter up the Serie A table with a 2-1 win last night.

Antonio Candreva got Lazio off to a good start but the Brazilian playmaker who once dazzled at the Stadio Olimpico went on to twice exploit lapses in discipline from Champions League-chasing Lazio.

He converted a free-kick after Mauricio was sent off and made use of the extra space created when goalkeeper Federico Marchetti saw red – Mauro Icardi had missed from the spot – but Hernanes made amends late on.

The Biancocelesti remain a point behind their second-placed city rivals Roma with three games remaining, while Inter jump two places to seventh and are now just two points shy of a Europa League berth.

Relegated Parma put the brakes on Napoli’s Champions League bid by holding the southerners to a 2-2 draw.

Raffaele Palladino fired Parma ahead, with Cristobal Jorquera restoring their lead after Manolo Gabbiadini plundered an equaliser.

Dries Mertens would force the draw in the second half but Napoli are running out of time to gatecrash the top three.

Fiorentina edged a topsy-turvy Tuscan derby meeting with Empoli to remain in the frame for a fourth-placed finish.

Two goals from Josip Ilicic proved key in a 3-2 victory at the Stadio Carlo Castellani that moved La Viola to within five points of Napoli.

Riccardo Saponara and substitute Levan Mchedlidze scored for 13th-placed Empoli, while Mohamed Salah’s odd goal in five arrived shortly after half-time.

Roberto Soriano struck twice as Sampdoria halted a six-match winless run with a 4-1 win at Udinese.

Soriano both put the visitors ahead and doubled his team’s advantage, with Afriyie Acquah making it 3-0.

Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale scored a consolation penalty before Alfred Duncan wrapped up Samp’s win.

Cesena’s relegation was confirmed as they let a two-goal lead slip to lose 3-2 at home to Sassuolo.

Goals from Simone Zaza, Saphir Taider and Simone Missiroli cancelled out earlier strikes from Gregoire Defrel and Franco Brienza.

Atalanta boost

Ten-man Atalanta, meanwhile, boosted their survival hopes with a 3-2 triumph over Palermo in Sicily.

Daniele Baselli set the visitors on their way before an own goal from Sinisa Andelkovic doubled their lead. Franco Vazquez reduced the deficit but Alejandro Gomez extended Atalanta’s advantage.

Atalanta then lost goalkeeper Vlada Avramov to a red card after he brought down Vazquez in the area.

Andrea Belotti struck the resulting spot-kick past substitute goalkeeper Giorgio Frezzolini but his powerful attempt hit the crossbar.

Luca Rigoni made it 3-2 but the Bergamaschi held on for a vital win, likely enough to see them safe.

Earlier, Chievo and Verona drew 2-2 in their city derby with every goal arriving in a thrilling first half.

Alberto Paloschi put Chievo ahead but Hellas hit back with goals from Juanito Gomez and Luca Toni.

Chievo equalised from the spot after Sergio Pellissier earned and converted a penalty.

Serie A

Chievo 2
Paloschi 9; Pellissier 40p;
Verona 2
Gomez 20; Toni 26;

HT: 2-2. Att: 20,000.

Cesena 2
Defrel 15; Brienza 29;
Sassuolo 3
Zaza 48; Taider 51; Missiroli 69;

HT: 2-0. Att: 13,712.

Empoli 2
Saponara 28; Mchedlidze 77;
Fiorentina 3
Ilicic 4, 68; Salah 58;

HT: 1-1. Att: 10,000.

Lazio 1
Candreva 8;
Inter 2
Hernanes 26, 84;

HT: 1-1. Att: 47,000.
Missed penalty: Icardi (I) 63.
Red cards: Mauricio (L) 24; Marchetti (L) 61.

Palermo 2
Vazquez 43; Rigoni 68; Gomez 51;
Atalanta 3
Baselli 6; Andelkovic 17og;

HT: 1-2. Att: 13,792.
Red card: Avramov (A) 56.
Missed penalty: Belotti (P) 58.

Parma 2
Palladino 9; Jorquera 33;
Napoli 2
Gabbiadini 28; Mertens 72;

HT: 2-1. Att: 13,172.

Udinese 1
Di Natale 87p;
Sampdoria 4
Soriano 26, 63; Acquah 80; Duncan 90;

HT: 0-1. Att: 16,764

  P W D L F A Pts
Juventus 35 24 8 3 65 20 80
Roma 35 17 13 5 49 27 64
Lazio 35 19 6 10 65 34 63
Napoli 35 17 9 9 64 45 60
Fiorentina 35 15 10 10 52 44 55
Sampdoria 35 13 15 7 45 38 54
Inter 35 13 13 9 52 40 52
Genoa 34 13 11 10 49 40 50
Torino 34 12 12 10 40 37 48
Milan 35 11 13 11 48 46 46
Palermo 35 10 13 12 48 51 43
Chievo 35 10 12 13 27 35 42
Empoli 35 8 17 10 41 45 41
Udinese 35 10 11 14 39 49 41
Verona 35 10 11 14 43 60 41
Sassuolo 35 9 13 13 42 54 40
Atalanta 35 7 15 13 35 49 36
Cagliari 35 6 10 19 43 64 28
Cesena 35 4 12 19 34 64 24
Parma (-7) 35 6 6 23 29 68 17

Playing today
Genoa vs Torino - 20.45

Top scorers
20 goals: Tevez (Juventus).
19 goals: Toni (Verona).
18 goals: Icardi (Inter).
16 goals: Menez (Milan), Higuain (Napoli).

Next fixtures

Saturday: 18.00 Inter vs Juventus; 20.45 Sampdoria vs Lazio.

Sunday: 12.30 Sassuolo vs Milan. 15.00 Atalanta vs Genoa; Cagliari vs Palermo; Verona vs Empoli; Torino vs Chievo. 20.45 Roma vs Udinese.

Monday: 19.00 Fiorentina vs Parma; Napoli vs Cesena.

Serie B
Crotone vs Varese - 1-0

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