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Higuain hits brace as Napoli sink Lazio

Napoli’s 10th win left them in third spot but after Roma’s fourth consecutive draw on Sunday, Rafael Benitez’s men are now only three points behind the Giallorossi and six off leaders Juventus.

With only one win against Napoli in their last five games, and having taken only eight points in their last eight outings, Lazio were desperate for a morale-boosting first success since a 2-0 defeat of Cagliari at the end of October.

But despite containing Napoli in a balanced first half, the Biancocelesti were punished after the break when Goran Pandev and Higuain struck in clinical fashion to give the visitors a 3-1 lead 18 minutes from time.

Despite reducing the arrears two minutes from time thanks to teenager Keita Balde, slack defending allowed Jose Callejon to hit Napoli’s fourth in injury time to send Lazio down one place to ninth, with AC Milan moving up to eighth.

Fiorentina dominate Verona in seven-goal magical thriller

MILAN: Fiorentina dominated 10-man Verona 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller that produced four goals inside the opening quarter hour at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Monday.

La Viola’s eighth win tightened their grip on fifth place and took their points tally to 27, equal with fourth-placed Inter but 10 points behind leaders Juventus.

With Verona breathing down Fiorentina’s necks the home side started brightly and were in front by the fifth minute.

Borja Valero scored the first of his brace. The hosts’ joy was short-lived, however, and when Juan Iturbe forced a rebound from Neto with a drive from distance Romulo beat Fiorentina’s defence to the rebound and beat the ‘keeper with an angled shot from close in.

Iturbe stunned Neto from 25 metres when he collected Luca Toni’s lay-off on the right before slamming a left-footed strike inside the keeper’s near post.  Fiorentina, however, were back on level terms with Valera scoring.
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