Serie A Roundup: 5 Things You Might Have Missed From Italy's Top Flight This Weekend
Serie A threw up more moments of interest over the weekend, with the top teams all experiencing differing fortunes.
Juventus solidified their grip on the title race by beating closest competitors Napoli on Sunday 2-1, while Inter lost on Friday night to Cagliari.
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Here are the things you might have missed from the weekend's action in Italy.
Milan Surge Past Inter to Go Third After 1-0 Sassuolo Victory
From out of nowhere, it now seems like Milan have the makings of what could be a very good team. With Krzysztof Piatek firing up front and Lucas Paqueta an inspired addition in midfield, there's a balance to Gennaro Gattuso's side which was previously missing.
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They weren't brilliant against Sassuolo, with Pol Lirola's own goal the difference between the two sides, but it was still enough to take Milan above rivals Inter and into third place, eight points behind Napoli in second.
Sparks Fly as Lazio Smash Roma in Derby della Capitale
While Roma are still in decent shape to qualify for next season's Champions League, they have been a touch too soft in big games in recent months.
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I Giallorossi followed up their 7-1 Coppa Italia defeat to Fiorentina by winning four out of their next five in all competitions but, when given the chance to prove their mettle in a local derby, they crumbled.
Felipe Caicedo bagged the opener before Ciro Immobile netted a 73rd minute penalty, with Danilo Cataldi getting the third before Aleksandar Kolarov was sent off for two yellow cards picked up in quick succession.
Fabio Quagliarella Joins Ronaldo at Top of Goalscoring Charts With Double in 2-1 SPAL Win
Like a fine wine, Fabio Quagliarella continues to improve week after week and now has a real chance of winning the Capocannoniere after his latest brace against SPAL on Sunday.
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Sampdoria remain an outside bet to finish in a Champions League spot, with Marco Giampaolo's side currently eight points behind Inter, but if Quagliarella keeps banging in the goals they can be quietly confident.
Gervinho Stars in Parma's Dramatic 3-3 Draw at Empoli
Ivory Coast international Gervinho never amounted to much at Arsenal and has made a few odd moves since departing the Emirates, but it seems as though he feels at home with Parma, netting his ninth league goal of the season against Empoli on Saturday.
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His goal displayed all the 31-year-old's newly found predatory instincts, racing onto a through ball from a free kick to round the goalkeeper and tuck home.
While Gervinho was probably Parma's best performer, Bruno Alves put in a similarly interesting performance, grabbing a goal and an assist before turning one into his own net for Empoli's 91st minute equaliser.
Udinese Move Clear of Relegation Zone With Crucial Bologna Success
Long gone are the days when Antonio Di Natale had Udinese throwing down with Italy's best teams at the top of Serie A. Nowadays, they're scrapping at the bottom of the league with the other relegation threatened sides.
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However, they did their hopes of avoiding relegation no harm on Sunday after a nervy 2-1 victory over Bologna, with Rodrigo de Paul and Ignacio Pussetto scoring the crucial goals either side of Rodrigo Palacio's effort.
