Late equaliser saves Juventus but Inter, AC Milan cruise
Simon Evans
Italian champions Juventus needed an 88th minute equaliser from substitute Marcelo Zalayeta to snatch a 1-1 draw at home to unfancied Como on Sunday but leaders Inter Milan maintained their 100 percent record.
Inter beat Piacenza 4-1 with midfielder Luigi Di Biagio scoring twice. Piacenza striker Dario Hubner was sent off for dissent in the 58th minute.
Filippo Inzaghi continued his impressive scoring streak with a hat-trick for AC Milan in their 6-0 crushing of struggling Torino to take his season tally to 15 goals in nine matches.
After four games Inter lead on 12 points, followed by Milan on 10 and Juventus and Bologna on eight points.
Juve were facing a shock defeat after their former player Fabio Pecchia put promoted Como, without a win this season, ahead in the 66th minute.
Juventus, missing Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved and striker Marco Di Vaio, never got into their stride against a determined Como despite fielding a three-pronged attack of Marcelo Salas, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet.
Marcello Lippi's side were shocked when after all their efforts to find a breakthrough, including a shot against the bar by Salas, they were hit by a counter-attack converted by Pecchia.
But Uruguayan Zalayeta saved face two minutes from the end with a header from a Cristian Zenoni cross.
INTER STROLL
Inter, heavily criticised after their midweek Champions League loss at home to Olympique Lyon, took the lead when Di Biagio headed in a corner in the 36th minute.
Six minutes after the restart the Italy midfielder doubled the advantage, with a neat finish after a smart exchange with Alvaro Recoba. Recoba made it 3-0 as he broke down the right flank and fired home a left-foot drive in the 69th minute.
Piacenza, despite Hubner's expulsion, pulled a goal back through Enzo Maresca in the 73rd minute before Hernan Crespo restored the three-goal advantage in the 85th minute.
Recoba again played a key role with a cross for the Argentine's header.
Milan president and Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made a rare appearance in the directors' box at the San Siro stadium and was treated to a goal feast from his in-form team.
Carlo Ancelotti's side were 3-0 up by the break thanks to a penalty from Andrea Pirlo, Inzaghi's first strike and a fine solo goal from Serghinho.
Milan eased off after the break but then refound their rhythmn in the latter stages with Inzaghi heading in his second 11 minutes from the end.
Five minutes later it was 5-0 when a cross-shot from Rui Costa took a strong deflection off Torino defender Stefano Fattori. Inzaghi completed his hat-trick and the rout with a close-range effort four minutes from the end.
To add to a miserable day for troubled Torino their striker Cristiano Lucarelli was sent off for dissent in the 88th minute.
Lazio's positive start to the season continued with a 1-0 win at struggling Atalanta.
Brazilian Cesar got the decisive goal after a burst down the left and a swift exchange of passes with Dejan Stankovic and the win moves Roberto Mancini's side up to sixth place on seven points.
Two second-half goals from Giovanni Tedesco gave Perugia a 2-2 draw at Parma who had led through strikes from Adrian Mutu and Massimo Donati.
It was the second successive week that Parma have given up a 2-0 lead -- they suffered the same fate at Juventus last week.
Chievo Verona, knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Red Star Belgrade on Thursday, scored a 2-0 win over Modena while Empoli and Bologna, who have made good starts, played out a goalless draw.
On Saturday Roma beat Udinese 4-1 with Francesco Totti scoring twice.
