MILAN — Napoli missed the chance to reclaim top spot in Serie A as it fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat at relegation-threatened Bologna Sunday and slipped to third after Fiorentina beat Udinese 3-0.
Bologna has been a transformed side since Roberto Donadoni replaced Delio Rossi as coach. One of the players who has flourished the most is Mattia Destro and he struck twice to take his tally to four goals in as many matches under the former Italy boss.
Luca Rossettini also scored as Bologna went 3-0 up on the hour mark. Serie A top scorer Gonzalo Higuain struck twice in three minutes but it was too late for Napoli to complete a remarkable comeback.
Fiorentina moved second, a point behind Inter Milan and one ahead of Napoli.
At the other end of the standings, winless Verona remained rooted to the bottom of the table after a 1-0 loss to Empoli. It remained nine points behind 17th-placed Palermo, which lost 3-0 at 10-man Atalanta.
Frosinone lost 2-0 at home to Chievo Verona and remained in the relegation zone, along with Carpi which host AC Milan later.
Sampdoria is also still to play, against Sassuolo.
Napoli was looking to move back top following Inter's 1-0 win against Genoa Saturday. It had only lost one game in all competition, winning 14 and drawing four since the season-opening defeat, while scoring 42 goals and conceding eight.
But Bologna had won two and drawn one after Donadoni took over and was eager to bounce back from last week's defeat at Torino and took a shock lead in the 14th minute when Destro pounced on a long ball over the top from Amadou Diawara, shrugged off Raul Albiol and slotted past Pepe Reina.
It was the first time since Sep. 13 that Napoli had been behind in a league match and it found itself 2-0 down seven minutes later when Rossettini headed in a corner.
Napoli laid siege to the Bologna goal but went further behind on the counter as Destro fired past an uncertain Reina.
Higuain reduced the deficit in the 87th following a cross from Lorenzo Insigne and scored his 14th league goal of the season in the final minute to set up a nervy finale but Bologna held on in stoppage time.
Fiorentina knew it could leapfrog Napoli with a win but it took a moment of fortune for it to take the lead in the 26th minute when Udinese defender Edenilson's clearance fell to Milan Badelj, whose shot took a decisive deflection off Nikola Kalinic to wrongfoot the goalkeeper. The goal was awarded to Badelj.
Udinese almost immediately leveled but Cyril Thereau's headed crashed off the post.
Fiorentina doubled its advantage just after the hour when Josip Ilicic converted his fifth penalty of the season after Emmanuel Badu fouled Kalinic.
Gonzalo Rodriguez headed in a corner four minutes from time as the scoreline flattered Fiorentina. — AP
