Roma heaped more misery on AC Milan with 2-1 win on Sunday

Stefano Pioli is still searching for his first win since he replaced the sacked Marco Giampaolo earlier this month.

And his side's continued inadequacies were evident in a performance littered with defensive errors which enabled the home side to move above Cagliari into fifth place.

Pioli named the same side that had stuttered to a draw with Lecce last week and they had the first chance with Rafael Leao firing wide before a Lucas Paqueta effort was ruled out for offside.

But Milan's early promise soon faded and they fell behind after 38 minutes. Visiting keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had saved brilliantly to deny Zaniolo but from the resulting corner, Dzeko was left completely unmarked at the far post and headed home.

Javier Pastore and Chris Smalling had chances to increase Roma's advantage as the visitors continued to look susceptible at set-plays.

Pioli's men were handed a lifeline 10 minutes into the second half when Davide Calabria crossed and Theo Hernandez diverted home the equaliser via a deflection.

But just three minutes later, Milan squandered possession and Dzeko teed up Zaniolo who rifled home what proved to be the winning goal from the edge of the box.

Substitute Gianluca Mancini could have extended Roma's lead from another corner, Pastore had an effort ruled out for offside, and Donnarumma saved well to deny Zaniolo.

Milan came close to grabbing a scarcely deserved draw in stoppage time but midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu drilled his shot into the side-netting.

Atalanta shrugged off their midweek Champions League mauling by Manchester City as they stormed to a 7-1 win over Udinese in Serie A.

Luis Muriel scored a hat-trick as his side strengthened their grip on third place in the table with a result that equalled their previous best in the Italian top-flight.

Stefano Okaka had put the visitors in front after 11 minutes but his opener was cancelled out by Josip Ilicic before the game changed when Udinese's Nicholas Opoku was sent off on the half-hour.

Opoku conceded the penalty which Muriel converted, and Ilicic scored his second to put Atalanta 3-1 in front before half-time.

A further brace from Muriel - including a second penalty - and efforts from Mario Pasalic and Amad Traore wrapped up the home side's historic day.

Fourth-placed Napoli lost ground on the teams above them after Carlo Ancelotti's men were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at lowly SPAL.

Arkadiusz Milik had given Napoli a ninth-minute lead but Jasmin Kurtic equalised seven minutes later and it proved enough to give the hosts only their seventh point of the season.

Edin Dzeko headed Roma in front late in the first half and despite an equaliser from Theo Hernandez, a blunder at the back allowed Nicolo Zaniolo to rifle the winner from the edge of the box.

Cagliari stretched their unbeaten run in Serie A to seven games after a 1-1 draw at Torino.

Nahitan Nandez put the visitors in front five minutes before the interval but Simone Zaza equalised after 69 minutes for mid-table Torino, who are now winless in four.

There was more misery for bottom club Sampdoria who fell to a 2-1 defeat at Bologna.

Rodrigo Palacio put the home side in front three minutes into the second half and although Manolo Gabbiadini equalised for Sampdoria, Mattia Bani scored a 78th-minute winner.

Ciro Immobile scored a dramatic late winner as Lazio moved up to sixth place with a 2-1 win at Fiorentina in the late game.

Joaquin Correa's 22nd-minute opener for the visitors was quickly cancelled out by Federico Chiesa but Immobile pounced in the 89th minute to give Lazio their first win in three games.

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