Inspired Inter Milan put five past Genoa

Inter Milan 5 // Genoa 2

Inter Milan demolished Genoa with a stunning second-half display at the San Siro to keep up the chase of AC Milan at the top of Serie A with a 5-2 victory.

Rodrigo Palacio put Genoa in front in the 40th minute, but there was no looking back for Inter after Giampaolo Pazzini brought them level five minutes into the second half.

Samuel Eto's grabbed a brace before Goran Pandev and Yuto Nagatomo found the target.

Mauro Boselli's first goal in Italian football was a mere consolation for Genoa in the last minute.

And Inter also pulled clear of third-placed Napoli, who were held to a 0-0 draw by relegation-threatened Brescia as goalkeeper Michele Arcari had an inspired afternoon.

Lazio are fourth after beating Palermo and their new coach Serse Cosmi 2-0.

Giuseppe Sculli scored twice for Lazio in the opening 18 minutes to ensure they hang on to the last Champions League spot.

But Udinese are only one point further back in fifth after extending their unbeaten run to 11 games with a 1-0 win over basement-dwellers Bari.

Antonio Di Natale scored the only goal with a second-half penalty.

Gaston Ramirez scrambled a dramatic 94th-minute goal to earn Bologna a point from a 2-2 draw with Cagliari.

Marco Di Vaio's penalty had given the hosts the lead shortly before the half-hour but Andrea Cossu levelled and Daniele Ragatzu put Cagliari ahead with seven minutes remaining.

Bologna were not finished, though, and Ramirez's late contribution earned them a deserved point.

And that has allowed Fiorentina to move within two points of Cagliari as they beat Catania 3-0.

Adrian Mutu scored twice in the first half before Alberto Gilardino made it 3-0 after the hour mark.

Cesena moved out of the bottom three of Serie A and dragged Sampdoria down into danger with a 3-2 win over the Blucerchiati at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Three goals in the space of five minutes, spread between the end of the first half and the start of the second, earned Massimo Ficcadenti's side a crucial second win in a row to lift them above Lecce on their head-to-head record and out of the drop zone.

Marco Parolo fired Cesena ahead two minutes before the interval and two goals from Emanuele Giaccherini early in the second half put them in the driving seat.

Massimo Volta gave Samp hope in the 83rd minute, but not even a penalty scored by Massimo Maccarone in stoppage time was enough to rescue the hosts from defeat.

Chievo and Parma played out a goalless draw in Verona which temporarily eased the relegation concerns of both clubs.

Parma had Gabriel Paletta sent off for a second yellow card with 16 minutes remaining, but the away side held out to a claim a point.