Serie A round-up: Juventus back in title race after Fiorentina victory By PA
Last Updated: 13/12/15 10:40pm
Reigning champions Juventus burst back into the Serie A title race with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over fierce rivals Fiorentina on Sunday. Juve fell from grace by opening their fourth Scudetto defence with back-to-back defeats, but they are now only six points behind leaders Inter Milan after winning six games in a row.Josip Ilicic's penalty was cancelled out by former Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado, on loan at the Juventus Stadium from Chelsea, with Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala completing the turnaround in the second half. Massimiliano Allegri's side are now fourth ahead of next Sunday's trip to face lowly Carpi, while second-placed Fiorentina, who face Chievo next, remain four points shy of Inter.
Wojciech Szczesny excelled in goal for Roma as Napoli were held to a goalless draw at the Stadio San Paolo. Roma looked like scoring in the first half but Maurizio Sarri's Napoli turned the screw after the break, with on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper Szczesny standing between them and a seventh straight home win.
The Giallorossi might complain that Daniele De Rossi had a late goal ruled out due to a debatable line call, but in reality taking a point from this fixture represents a timely upturn in league form.
Meanwhile, misfiring AC Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by basement boys Hellas Verona at the San Siro. Sinisa Mihajlovic has watched his Rossoneri drop points to the likes of Carpi in recent weeks and the club's mission to return to the Champions League places is looking increasingly frangible.
Milan took the lead through Carlos Bacca shortly after half-time, but paid a heavy price for Nigel de Jong's decision to commit a professional foul. He was sent off and Luca Toni levelled from the spot.
Valter Birsa's second-half strike saw Chievo beat nine-man Atalanta 1-0 in Verona.
Nicolo Cherubin's 66th-minute dismissal offered Alberto Paloschi the chance to score a penalty, but Marco Sportiello denied him, meaning Birsa had to produce the winner 10 minutes later.
To compound Atalanta's disappointment, Jasmin Kurtic was sent off for dissent in stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Massimo Maccarone scored twice and set up a third goal for Riccardo Saponara as upwardly-mobile Empoli brushed struggling Carpi aside 3-0 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
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