Napoli bury Inter 3-0
Napoli rediscovered their scoring touch as they brushed aside Inter Milan 3-0 on Friday, sending their opponents' new coach Stefano Pioli back to the drawing-board.
The result was never in doubt after Piotr Zielinski and Marek Hamsek put Napoli 2-0 ahead after six minutes. Lorenzo Insigne completed the scoring early in the second half.
Napoli had scored only 13 in their previous 11 games in all competitions and it was by far their best performance since striker Arkadiusz Milik suffered a long-term knee injury while playing for Poland in early October.
Inter had given Pioli his first win in three games as coach when they beat Fiorentina 4-2 on Monday but were quickly sent back into crisis mode.
Napoli's win took them into sixth place with 28 points, five behind leaders Juventus. Inter are eighth with 21.
"Of course, this is a step backwards in relation to our last game," said a disappointed Pioli. "We made mistakes at the start and it's always more difficult when you go two goals behind.
"We gave them too much space and when we created our own chances, we missed them. There were more negatives than positives... there are difficulties and we have to solve them."
Inter scored three goals in the first 19 minutes against Fiorentina on Monday but found themselves on the wrong end of a similar start by Napoli.
The hosts went ahead in the second minute when a flowing move ended with Hamsik chipping the ball to Jose Callejon, who knocked it down for Zielinski to volley in from 12 metres.
Four minutes later, Hamsik broke clear of the Inter defence and placed his shot wide of Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Napoli were playing some flowing football and threatened to add a third against shell-shocked opponents.
Although Inter enjoyed more possession in the second half, Napoli scored again in the 51st minute when Insigne volleyed in a loose ball.
Lewandowski, Robben goals put Bayern back on top
Robert Lewandowski struck twice and Arjen Robben netted with a rare diving header as champions Bayern Munich came from a goal down to win 3-1 at Mainz 05 to reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga on Friday.
The Bavarians have 30 points from 13 games, ahead on goal difference of promoted RB Leipzig who host Schalke 04 on Saturday when Hertha Berlin, third on 24, travel to VfL Wolfsburg.
Hot-shot Poland international Lewandowski has now scored twice in each of his last four visits to Mainz, a league record.
"We have not played as good as we did in the first half for some time," Dutch winger Robben told reporters.
"We should have scored more goals."
Bayern went behind after four minutes when powerful Colombian striker Jhon Cordoba charged past Javi Martinez and drilled an unstoppable low shot past keeper Manuel Neuer.
Lewandowski equalised four minutes later with a tidy finish from a fine through ball by Robben.
Thomas Mueller, without a goal this season, could have put the visitors ahead but his point-blank effort was kicked away by keeper Jonas Loessl.
Mueller turned provider and Robben beat Loessl with a well-timed header to put the champions ahead in the 21st minute.
Lewandowski then grabbed his ninth league goal of the campaign in stoppage time at the end of the game.
Bayern have now chalked up two Bundesliga wins in a row after suffering their first defeat of the season against Borussia Dortmund on Nov. 19.
Mainz remained in ninth place on 17 points.
