Edinson Cavani followed up last week’s hat-trick against SS Lazio by converting a second-half penalty on Sunday to give SSC Napoli a 1-0 win at UC Sampdoria and end their opponents’ unbeaten record in Serie A.
Fabrizio Miccoli scored a brilliant hat-trick, including an astonishing long-range volley, as US Citta di Palermo hammered AC Chievo Verona 4-1 to claim their first win of the season.
Torino scored four goals in 15 minutes in the second half to win 5-1 at Atalanta BC, who hit the woodwork twice and took the lead as they dominated the first half, while Bologna thrashed Catania 4-0.
Photo: EPA
Cagliari, playing a home match in front of their supporters for the first time this season, lost 2-1 to Delfino Pescara 1936 to remain winless.
Napoli’s win kept them neck and neck with leaders and reigning champions Juventus, who thrashed AS Roma 4-1 on Saturday.
The leading pair each have 16 points from six games, four more than Lazio and Inter, who both won 2-1 at home.
Inter enjoyed a fortuitous 2-1 win over 10-man ACF Fiorentina.
Argentine striker Diego Milito fired Inter ahead from a penalty harshly awarded for a handball by Gonzalo Rodriguez in the 17th minute and Antonio Cassano slotted in a second just after the half hour.
Romulo headed Fiorentina back into the game before halftime and despite having Rodriguez sent off in the 62nd minute, the visitors dominated the remainder of the match and were unlucky not to salvage a point.
Lazio beat AC Siena 2-1 thanks to first-half goals from Ederson, the Brazilian’s first since joining from Olympique Lyonnais, and Cristian Ledesma, who converted a penalty.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzari was sent off in the first half when he lost his temper after the referee failed to send off Pedro Obiang for a dangerous high tackle on Pablo Cannovaro.
Cavani, who missed a penalty against Lazio, made no mistake in the 67th minute after Marek Hamsik was tripped, the Uruguay international taking his tally to six in Serie A.
In Sicily, Miccoli opened his account by curling a free-kick around the wall in the 13th minute. Marco Rigone leveled in the 28th minute, but Miccoli put Palermo back in front with an individual goal just before the hour and he completed the scoring with a volley from near the halfway line which sneaked under the crossbar.
Luigi Giorgi also scored to ease the pressure on Palermo coach Gian Piero Gasperini, whose predecessor Giuseppe Sannino was sacked after only three games at Italy’s most volatile club.
The only sour note for Palermo was a red card for Franco Brienza in the 62nd minute.
About 5,000 fans were allowed to watch Cagliari’s game as the Is Arenas, where the Sardinian club has moved this season, was partially opened.
Cagliari’s first game was played behind closed doors, while their match against Roma the previous weekend was called off by local authorities after club president Massimo Cellino defied a municipal order not to allow fans to attend. Roma were awarded a 3-0 forfeit win.
There was little joy for Cagliari, though, after Christian Terlizzi and Vladimir Weiss scored in the second half to put the visitors 2-0 ahead, before Mauricio Pinilla pulled one back from the penalty spot.
In the lunchtime fixture, Udinese and Genoa played to a lackluster 0-0 draw.
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