Monday 20 October 2014 08:18, UK
Keisuke Honda scored twice as resurgent AC Milan moved up to fourth in Serie A with a 3-1 win at Hellas Verona on Sunday afternoon.
The Rossoneri, who were helped along the road to victory by Rafael Marques' early own goal, broke into the European places thanks to Japan striker Honda's well-taken brace.
Ambitious Verona fought hard to rescue a share of the points and a late rally did see Nico Lopez grab a consolation goal, but Rafael Marquez's dismissal called time on their brave challenge.
Lazio also climbed further up the table with their third win in a row, a 2-0 triumph at Fiorentina.
Filip Djordjevic and Senad Lulic scored the goals for the Biancocelesti to lift them three points clear of their hosts and into the hunt for European football.
Cagliari came from two goals behind to grab a point from a 2-2 draw with Sampdoria, who ended the game with 10 men.
Manolo Gabbiadini and Pedro Obiang had Sampdoria on course for their fifth win of the season, but a red card to Fabrizio Cacciatore and a penalty just shy of the hour mark proved to be the turning point.
Danilo Avelar converted from the spot before Marco Sau earned Zdenek Zeman's men a point.
Substitute Richmond Boakye condemned hapless Parma to a fourth straight defeat as Atalanta claimed their first home win of the season.
The Ghanaian striker only appeared briefly at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia but provided the key to unlock a Parma defence which looked ready to register a rare clean sheet.
Remarkably, Boakye's last-gasp goal was only a third of the entire campaign for profligate Atalanta, but their 1-0 victory propels them into mid-table while Parma slip to the bottom of the table.
Palermo picked up their first win back in the top flight to ease the pressure on their coach Giuseppe Iachini, although they left it late to beat 10-man Cesena 2-1.
Paulo Dybala put the Rosaneri in front, but substitute Alejandro Rodriguez levelled from the penalty spot on the hour.
Manuel Coppola was given his marching orders for a second yellow card with 10 minutes to go and Cesena were unable to hold on to a point as Costa Rica defender Giancarlo Gonzalez headed in Palermo's winner in stoppage time.
Udinese will be glad to see the back of Turin this season after losing in the Piedmont city for the second time.
Their former forward Fabio Quagliarella did the damage as Torino beat the high-flyers 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico to inflict only the second defeat on Andrea Stramaccioni's side this season.
In the late game, a late flurry of goals at the San Siro saw Inter Milan and Napoli share the points from a 2-2 Serie A draw.
And there was anxious stalemate in Milan until Jose Callejon scored the first of his two goals with just over 10 minutes remaining.
When substitute Fredy Guarin levelled it looked like Inter had done enough to rescue a point but they were forced to mount one last rally after Callejon converted his brace in stoppage time.
Hernanes' header may have denied seventh-placed Napoli two points but did little to further Inter's own frustrated ambitions of reaching the European places. They climb one spot to ninth.
