Napoli brush aside Verona, chaos as Palermo lose
MILAN (Reuters) - Napoli overcame the absence of suspended top scorer Gonzalo Higuain to brush aside rock bottom Verona 3-0 in Serie A on Sunday while Palermo's poor season continued with a shambolic 3-0 home defeat by Lazio.
The Sicilians stayed in the relegation zone after a game that was twice interrupted as Palermo fans, furious at their team's performance, threw firecrackers on to the pitch and tore up plastic seats.
Fiorentina's recent dismal run continued when they lost to smaller Tuscan neighbours Empoli for the first time since 1997, leaving them fifth.
Second-placed Napoli stayed six points behind leaders Juventus, who won 2-1 at AC Milan on Saturday to keep up their unstoppable run, with six matches to play and remain outsiders to land their first title since 1990.
Higuain, who has led Napoli's challenge with 30 league goals, will also miss the next three games as he completes a four-match ban for his sending-off and furious reaction in last week's 3-1 defeat at Udinese.
Juventus have 76 points from 32 games with Napoli on 70, AS Roma on 63, Inter Milan on 58 and Fiorentina on 56.
Palermo have endured a chaotic season featuring six different coaches, one of them twice, and there was no let-up on Sunday.
Lazio, who have endured a mini-crisis during which Stefano Pioli was sacked as coach last week and replaced by Simone Inzaghi, raced into a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes with both goals scored by 37-year-old former Germany forward Miroslav Klose.
PREDICTABLE FURY
Palermo fans reacted with predictable fury and the match was stopped for one minute midway through the first half and again early in the second period as firecrackers were thrown, one landing near Lazio's Antonio Candreva.
Another goal by Felipe Anderson piled on the agony for the hosts and fuelled suggestions their latest coach Walter Novellino could also be fired.
Palermo remained in the bottom three, behind Carpi on goal difference as the two sides have an identical head-to-head record.
Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri and his players refused to speak to reporters, maintaining the media blackout the club say will continue until their appeal against Higuain's ban has been heard.
Sarri's team hit the post twice and had a goal disallowed before Manolo Gabbiadini headed them in front in the 33rd minute, his fifth goal in seven starts this season, after Verona goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini parried Jose Callejon's shot.
The game was effectively settled in first-half stoppage time when Samuel Souprayen knocked over Callejon in the area, was sent off and Lorenzo Insigne converted the penalty.
Callejon was rewarded for his efforts when he scored the third from close range in the 70th minute.
Fiorentina, at one stage in contention for a top-three finish and Champions League spot, lost 2-0 to Empoli with Manuel Pucciarelli and Piotr Zielinski netting.
Sampdoria, who have lost only one of their last six games, pulled further clear of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Udinese while Torino beat Atalanta 2-1 in a mid-table match.
(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Clare Fallon)