Lazio back atop
Lazio downed Bari 2-0 in Sunday night's late game to return to the top of the Serie A table as Samuel Eto'o silenced racist chants in Cagliari in Inter Milan's 1-0 victory.
Goals from Brazilian Hernanes and Sergio Floccari gave the Romans the three points and kept them on top of the pile following wins for Inter and AC Milan.
Eto'o had earlier scored the only goal of the game in Sardinia to gain revenge on fans who started the game by taunting him.
Surprise package Lazio continued their positive start to the season and lead the table by two points from Milan, who top Inter on goals scored.
But despite their lofty position, Floccari said they're not kidding themselves.
"We played the game we needed to, we knew we couldn't give Bari space up front, it was an exam in maturity," he said.
"We know that being ahead is not our rightful place, there are much better equipped and more competitive teams but we'll see game after game what our true level is."
In a low key first half, Hernanes curled an effort wide and Andre Dias headed inches off target for Lazio, while Abdelkader Ghezzal had Bari's best chances, forcing Fernando Muslera into a sprawling save and then firing over from a free-kick.
But on 52 minutes a speculative through ball from Stefano Mauri somehow eluded a cluster of players and fell to Brazilian Hernanes to slot between goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet's legs.
And just nine minutes later, Lazio scored a second in even more bizarre circumstances as a mishit shot from Mauri hit a stumbling Floccari on the knee and looped over Gillet into the top corner.
Bari came closest 10 minutes from time when substitute Jose Ignacio Castillo's header came back off the upright, hit Muslera, then the post again before bouncing to safety.
Juventus went fifth after thrashing Lecce 4-0 with Palermo just behind after their 4-1 defeat of Bologna.
Alessandro Del Piero scored Juve's fourth and equalled Giampiero Boniperti's record of 178 league goals for the club.
Fourth-placed Napoli missed the chance to join the Milan neighbours at the top as they drew 1-1 at Catania while Fiorentina went bottom following their 2-1 reverse at Sampdoria.
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