Serie A: Hat-trick for Gonzalo Higuain, stormy win for Inter Milan

Gonzalo Higuain burst into life by scoring a hat-trick in the final half hour, his first league goals of the season, to help Rafael Benitez's erratic Napoli thrash Verona 6-2 in Serie A on Sunday.

Troubled Inter Milan scrambled a 1-0 win at Cesena thanks to a controversial first-half penalty and sending-off and leaders Juventus put their European problems behind them with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to a tame Palermo.

Elsewhere, thirty-seven-year old Antonio Di Natale scored his fifth goal of the season, an exquisite curled effort, and Cyril Thereau was also on target in Udinese's 2-0 home win over Atalanta which left them joint third with Sampdoria on 16 points.

Chile forward Mauricio Pinilla missed a second-half penalty but then scored an 84th-minute winner as Genoa beat Chievo 2-1, handing the home team's new coach Rolando Maran a losing start.

Ex-Germany forward Miroslav Klose gave Lazio a 2-1 win over Torino in Rome, his first goal of the season, and Fernando Torres started on the bench, coming on in the 80th minute, in AC Milan's 1-1 draw at home to Fiorentina.

Seventh-placed Napoli, who have 14 points from eight games, went into their game under more pressure following a 2-0 Europa League defeat at Young Boys on Thursday when fans waited outside the stadium to protest as the team bus left the ground.