Udinese 4 Cesena 1
Udinese put the pressure on Juventus and Milan at the top of Serie A with a convincing 4-1 win over struggling Cesena at the Stadio Friuli.
Antonio Di Natale started and finished the scoring for the Bianconeri, with Citadin Eder giving the visitors hope with an equaliser in the 39th minute.
Kwadwo Asamoah and Dusan Basta scored the home side's other goals in the second half as Cesena struggled with 10 men following the dismissal of Maurizio Lauro on the hour mark.
The win took Udinese top of the league for the time being, but with Milan and Juve in action against Atalanta and Lecce respectively later in the day.
Cagliari 3 Genoa 0
Cagliari joined Genoa in mid-table of Serie A on 21 points with a convincing 3-0 win at the Stadio Sant Elia.
Pasquale Marino will certainly have imagined a different debut after replacing Alberto Malesani as Genoa coach over the festive period as he saw his side fall apart at the seams, even losing Emiliano Moretti to the sixth red card for a Genoa player this season.
Joaquin Larrivey put Cagliari ahead from the penalty spot in the 12th minute and Victor Ibarbo doubled their lead early in the second half.
An own goal from Andrea Granqvist in the 72nd minute compounded a miserable day for Genoa and a glorious win for the Sardinians, led by former Genoa coach Davide Ballardini.
Roma 2 Chievo 0
Francesco Totti struck twice from the penalty spot to end his goalscoring drought and fire Roma to victory over Chievo this afternoon.
The Giallorossi captain scored his first goal of the season in the 34th minute after Erik Lamela was brought down inside the area by Chievo's Nicolas Frey.
Totti again converted from the spot with 12 minutes to go after Bostjan Cesar had been penalised for handball.
The hosts, seeking a third successive win, went into the encounter at the Stadio Olimpico without their leading scorer Daniel Osvaldo, who has been ruled out for two months with a thigh injury.
Atalanta 0 Milan 2
Goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kevin-Prince Boateng kept Milan at the Serie A summit with victory at Atalanta.
The Sweden striker scored a first-half penalty, after Alexandre Pato was fouled, and then set up Boateng's clincher in the closing stages.
With Juventus, level on points with Milan, winning at Lecce, and Udinese having done so against Cesena earlier in the day to temporarily nudge ahead, the victory was vital to keep the Rossoneri on top of the pile.
The hosts had the better of the opening stages and could have taken the lead in the first minute, when Ezequiel Schelotto failed to unduly extend goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.
Novara 0 Fiorentina 3
Stevan Jovetic bagged a brace as Fiorentina cruised to a comfortable Serie A victory at Novara this afternoon.
Jovetic was on target in either half to take his tally for the season to nine while Riccardo Montolivo also weighed in with his first of the campaign as Novara meekly surrendered at Stadio Silvio Piola.
The win was La Viola's first in four league outings and moves them into the top half of the standings, while defeat for Novara means the promoted side have now won just one of their last 14 in the league and they remain mired in the relegation zone, six points from safety.
Bologna 2 Catania 0
Bologna enjoyed a strong start to the year by posting victory over 10-man Catania today.
Substitute Nicolo Cherubin put the hosts ahead early in the second half before Catania lost Marco Biagianti to a red card 12 minutes from time and Marco Di Vaio sealed victory at the death with Bologna's second of the match.
The win sees Bologna pull six points clear of the bottom three while Catania stay eighth.
Maxi Lopez was included in Catania's starting XI despite speculation the Argentina striker could leave the Sicilian outfit this month, with Fulham and Milan among the clubs keen to acquire his services.
Lecce 0 Juventus 1
Alessandro Matri scored the only goal of the game to see off bottom side Lecce and keep Juventus neck and neck with AC Milan at the top of the Serie A table.
Matri headed home from close range after 27 minutes to settle a game in which neither side made the most of plenty of chances.
The win moved Juve, looking for their first Scudetto since 2003 and still unbeaten in the league this season, level on 37 points with Milan, who beat Atalanta 2-0, and two points ahead of Udinese.
Lecce, in contrast, and losing touch at the foot of the standings, this defeat leaving them nine points from safety.
Palermo 1 Napoli 3
Bortolo Mutti experienced a home debut to forget as coach of Palermo as the Rosaneri succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Napoli at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.
Mutti, who replaced Devis Mangia just before Christmas, watched on as his side slumped to an uncontested defeat as Napoli joined Roma in sixth place, 10 points adrift of the Serie A summit.
Goran Pandev gave Walter Mazzarri's side the lead 10 minutes before the interval and Edinson Cavani made it two 10 minutes after the break.
Marek Hamsik sealed the win on the hour mark with Napoli then controlling the game with ease as the stadium emptied prematurely as the home fans voted with their feet, most of them missing Fabrizio Miccoli's 89th-minute consolation.