Mertens keeps Napoli on top

Dries Mertens scored a brace as Napoli bounced back from a goal down to reclaim top spot in Serie A on Sunday with a 3-1 home win over Bologna.

Napoli restored their one-point advantage over champions Juventus who went top after Sami Khedira and Gonzalo Higuain scored in a 2-0 win at nine-man Chievo on Saturday.

In Naples, it proved to be a battle with Rodrigo Palacio nodding Bologna ahead after 25 seconds before an Ibrahima Mbaye own goal four minutes later pulled the hosts back at their Stadio San Paolo.

Mertens edged Napoli ahead on 37 minutes with a penalty awarded for a foul on Jose Callejon. The Belgian then claimed his 13th goal of the season with a spectacular curling effort on 59 minutes.

Maurizio Sarri's side have 57 points from 22 games, one more than Juventus.

In an earlier match, Inter Milan missed a chance to move third with a frustrating 1-1 draw at promoted SPAL. Inter are two points behind Lazio who can move further ahead when they play AC Milan at San Siro later on Sunday. Roma are just three points behind Inter in fifth before playing at Sampdoria. It was Inter's seventh consecutive league game without a win.

Alberto Paloschi headed in a last-gasp equaliser to grab a precious point for SPAL after Inter had taken the lead on 48 minutes when defender Francesco Vicari turned the ball into his own net.

"When you concede a goal like that in stoppage time, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth," said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti. “It doesn't change anything though. There is certainly work to be done better. I wouldn't say I'm worried, even when we were winning I didn't see big improvements. Now the results are worse, we're losing easy balls and at other times we're not fighting."

Crotone and Cagliari drew 1-1 in a relegation battle as Torino thrashed bottom team Benevento 3-0, with Vid Belec sent off for a kick on M'Baye Niang.