It was business as usual as Serie A resumed after the winter break, the top three all winning with AC Milan sounding a significant warning to leaders Inter Milan as they scored five against Genoa.
Milan came back from being a goal down to thrash Genoa. Marco Borriello struck twice while Ronaldinho and Klaas Jan Huntelaar both scored from the penalty spot. David Beckham got a great ovation from the crowd at the San Siro as he started for Milan.
Inter new boy Goran Pandev made his debut as Mario Balotelli’s 12th-minute strike earned the champions a 1-0 victory. Juventus also picked up an away victory as they beat Parma thanks to an early goal from Hasan Salihamidzic. Former AC Milan striker Nicola Amoruso equalised for the sixth-placed hosts midway through the first half, but Juve jumped back into the lead six minutes before the break when Paolo Castellini scored an own goal.
There was late drama in Sardinia as Cagliari Calcio scored twice in added time to draw 2-2 with Roma, a turn of events which allowed Napoli, 2-0 victors at lowly Atalanta, to rise to fourth. Alberto Gilardino struck two as UEFA Champions League contenders Fiorentina also won away, 5-1 against struggling Siena.
With Sampdoria and Palermo sharing the spoils with a 1-1 draw, the result propelled the Viola ahead of both and into seventh, a place above an Bari team which beat Udinese 2-0