Monday 3 October 2016 01:17, UK
The Serie A table is swiftly assuming a familiar appearance after five-time defending champions Juventus pulled four points clear at the top following their straightforward 3-0 victory at Empoli.
Juve's victory at the Stadio Carlo Castellani was secured in the space of five second-half minutes, when one goal from Paulo Dybala and two more from Gonzalo Higuain built a commanding lead.
Missing the chance to keep pace with the Scudetto holders were Napoli, who surrendered their unbeaten status in a 1-0 defeat to Atalanta in Bergamo, Andrea Petagna scoring an early goal.
The late game was billed as a battle between two clubs who harbour aspirations of breaking into the top two and it was Roma who moved into title contention after edging past Inter Milan 2-1.
Edin Dzeko scored the first goal of a thrilling game in the Eternal City, with Ever Banega putting away one of his countless opportunities to level before Roma's Kostas Manolas headed a late winner.
AC Milan fared better than their city rivals by launching a dramatic comeback to down Sassuolo 4-3 at the San Siro.
Giacomo Bonaventura's opener was forgotten when Sassuolo responded with goals from Matteo Politano, Francesco Acerbi and Lorenzo Pellegrini, but Carlos Bacca's penalty put Milan back on the road to glory with Manuel Locatelli and then Gabriel Paletta turning the tables.
Torino and Genoa are both in the ascendancy after recording wins against Fiorentina and Bologna respectively.
Joe Hart's new club had Iago Falque to thank for scoring one goal and setting up the other against Fiorentina, for whom Khouma Babacar scored the consolation in a 2-1 defeat.
Tempers flared at Bologna, with Daniele Gastaldello, Santiago Gentiletti and Blerim Dzemaili all being sent off, but Giovanni Simeone saw through the red mist to earn Genoa their 1-0 triumph.
Elsewhere, Cagliari condemned basement boys Crotone to yet another defeat, with Davide Di Gennaro and Simone Padoin scoring for the Sardinians in a 2-1 victory. Adrian Stoian replied for the promoted club, who have picked up a single point thus far, at the death.
Palermo were denied three points from their trip to Sampdoria as Bruno Fernandes cancelled out Ilija Nestorovski's goal before Alessandro Gazzi was dismissed in a 1-1 draw.
Sunday night also brought the news that Udinese had sacked head coach Giuseppe Iachini, for whom the final straw was a 3-0 home defeat to Lazio on Saturday.
