[1]Juventus boosted their morale ahead of a crucial Champions League clash away to Shakhtar Donetsk with a 3-0 rout of city rivals Torino, but the Old Lady of Turin has plenty of company at the top of Serie A.
Claudio Marchisio (two) and Sebastian Giovinco scored second half goals yesterday as Juventus humbled 10-man Torino to rack up their 60th win in the 135th 'Derby della Mole' on Saturday.
Juventus dominated throughout but apart from a solid performance from French midfielder Paul Pogba the bianconeri's first half display lacked real bite and even included a penalty miss from Andrea Pirlo.
Antonio Conte's side made amends in the second half, with Giovinco's 67th minute goal sandwiched by Marchisio's brace on 57 and 84 minutes after the expulsion of Torino defender Kamel Glik.
A week after suffering only their second defeat of the season, at AC Milan, Marchisio said: "It's good to get back to winning ways.
Juventus' 11th win in 14 games took their lead to five points over Napoli, who thanks to a brace apiece from Gokhan Inler and Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik's goal on the quarter hour demolished basement side Pescara 5-1.
Napoli's win in Sunday's early game heaped the pressure on third-placed Inter Milan, who were made to sweat at the San Siro by a stubborn Palermo side which gave the Nerazzurri their match winner.
Inter had failed to find a way through to goal until defender Santiago Garcia stuck his leg out and deflected Andrea Ranocchia's cross past his own keeper in the 74th minute.
"We weren't at our best but the team were persistent and kept plugging away," said Stramaccioni, who explained why he did not field Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder as indicated on Saturday.
"There are players in better form than him (Sneijder) and it's my job to put the best team together."
After their 10th win in 15 games Inter remain third on 31 points, two shy of Napoli and four adrift of Juventus.
Palermo slipped to fourth from bottom and coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who lasted only five games before being sacked as Inter coach last season, said: "We gifted them the goal. It's a pity because we had a decent game."
Lazio's 2-1 win over Parma had moved the Biancocelesti up one place to fourth, but that was reclaimed by Fiorentina despite the Viola being held to a 2-2 by Sampdoria.
Missing regular strikers Stevan Jovetic and Luca Toni due to injury, Fiorentina had to rely on a brace from Montenegrin defender Stefan Savic, both goals headers, as Sampdoria threatened an upset.
Savic rose high to head home in the 21st minute but Sampdoria refused to fold and levelled on 48 minutes thanks to a great strike from Nenad Krsticic.
The visitors were given an unexpected boost when Rodriguez Gonzalez deflected the ball into the Fiorentina net for an own goal, but Savic restored parity when he headed home the equaliser from a freekick three minutes later.
Fiorentina pressed for a late winner and were unlucky in the dying moments when Alberto Aquilani failed to convert a first-time chance from close in.
An improved second half performance which included a brace from Mattia Destro helped Roma transform a potential banana skin into a valuable 3-1 win away to Siena.
The Giallorossi were a goal down on 25 minutes after Luis Neto rose to head past Mauro Goicoechea.
Destro claimed Roma's equaliser on 63 minutes and after Simone Perrotta's 81st minute strike gave them the lead Destro capped the win by slotting into a virtually empty net from Miralem Pjanic's cross.
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