Udinese produced one of the results of the season as they hammered Palermo 7-0, while Inter beat Sampdoria.
Sanchez bags four as Udinese hit seven; Inter close gap at top
Udinese produced one of the results of the season anywhere in Europe as they hammered Palermo 7-0 in Sicily on Sunday, while Inter Milan overcame Sampdoria.
Inter Milan beat
Sampdoria 2-0 in the day's late kick-off to climb above Napoli, who face leaders AC Milan on Monday.
There was nothing to separate the sides at Stadio Luigi Ferraris until Wesley Sneijder struck in the 73rd minute.
Samuel Eto'o then scored a second in stoppage time to lift Inter to within just two points of their city rivals.
Only three places and four points separated
Udinese and
Palermo prior to kick-off, so nobody could have predicted what was to follow at the Renzo Barbera.
The match was over as a contest by the interval as Antonio Di Natale helped himself to a brace whilst Chilean star Alexis Sanchez scored a hat-trick.
Sanchez then collected his fourth goal just minutes into the second half, before on the hour Di Natale grabbed his third from the penalty spot.
In between all the goals Palermo did have a man sent off in each half, although they were already 3-0 down when Armin Bacinovic saw red just before the break.
Then Matteo Darmian was red carded on the hour, at which point the score was 6-0.
Udinese moved to within a point of fourth-placed
Lazio as they lost at ninth-placed
Cagliari.
The only goal in Sardinia came just before half-time as Andre Dias put through his own net.
Roma in sixth failed to give new coach Vincenzo Montella a win on his home debut as they threw away a two-goal lead to
Parma.
Roma looked on course for the win as they were 2-0 up at the break with Francesco Totti and Juan scoring.
But Parma battled back as Amauri clinched a quick-fire brace to level ten-minutes from time.
Massimo Paci was then sent off for Parma, but they managed to hang on for the point.
Catania boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 win over
Genoa in a match which saw three red cards.
Antonio Floro Flores - one of the players dismissed - gave Genoa the lead when he scored after 19 minutes.
But Catania battled back at the start of the second half and within ten minutes of the re-start had taken the lead with Maxi Lopez and Gonzalo Bergessio on target.
Then Genoa had two players sent off in two minutes with Flores and Domenico Criscito dismissed.
Blazej Augustyn was then dismissed for Catania and Genoa were awarded a penalty, but they failed to grab a share of the spoils as Miguel Veloso missed.
A last-minute penalty from Luis Jimenez gave
Cesena a 1-0 win over
Chievo Verona - which takes them to within three points of safety.
Lecce are now sitting just outside the drop-zone, but they will be happy with their 2-2 draw at second-bottom
Brescia as they came from two goals down.
First-half goals from Andrea Caracciolo and Davide Zoboli put Brescia in the driving seat, but Lecce battled back with Daniele Corvia and Gianni Munari helping them to a draw.
Bottom-of-the-table
Bari claimed a 1-1 draw with
Fiorentina but they remain 12 points adrift of safety.
Alberto Gilardino's first-half goal looked to have been enough for the Viola, but Abdelkader Ghezzal levelled with just three minutes left.
