Cavani hat-trick sinks champions Milan
Reuters - Sunday 18 September 2011, 21:42
ROME - Striker Edinson Cavani scored a
superb hat-trick to give Napoli a 3-1 home win over defending
Serie A champions AC Milan on Sunday.
Milan went ahead with an Alberto Aquilani header but it took
less than two minutes for Uruguay forward Cavani to spring into
action with the equaliser.
Cavani, who scored 26 Serie A goals as he helped Napoli
finish third last season and qualify for their first Champions
League campaign, added two more either side of half-time.
Napoli joined Juventus, Udinese and Cagliari on six points
from two games while Milan were left languishing alongside Inter
on one point.
Alessandro Matri scored early in the second half to give
Juventus a 1-0 win at Siena, having been set up by Montenegro
striker Mirko Vucinic, one of their new signings.
Udinese needed only half an hour to finish off Fiorentina as
Antonio Di Natale, league top scorer last season, converted a
penalty and Chile midfielder Mauricio Isla added the second in
their 2-0 home win.
Cagliari beat promoted Novara 2-1 in Sardinia on Saturday
when Inter were held 0-0 at home by AS Roma in a match between
two sides struggling to find their feet under new coaches Gian
Piero Gasperini and Luis Enrique.
Sebastian Giovinco scored twice, including a last-minute
winner, in Parma's 2-1 win over Chievo but the home winger was
sent off in injury-time after picking up a second yellow card
for playing on after the whistle.
Genoa won 2-1 at Lazio and Atalanta beat Palermo 1-0,
Argentine forward German Denis scoring in a match in Bergamo
which was interrupted by torrential rain for more than half an
hour in the second half.
Deducted six points for their part in a Serie B match-fixing
scandal, promoted Atalanta are unbeaten and have minus two
points.
FLYING HEADER
"It's great to see so much happiness, that's the most
important thing," said Cavani after Napoli's win over Milan.
"We know our defects and where we have to work."
Milan took the initiative and went ahead after 11 minutes
when Antonio Cassano's chip into the area was met with a flying
header by Aquilani.
Napoli were level 90 seconds later when Cavani drilled a low
shot under Christian Abbiati after a free-kick was inadvertently
headed to his feet by Christian Maggio.
Walter Gargano set up the second with a superb run from one
penalty area to the other before slipping the ball to his fellow
Uruguayan Cavani to rifle home.
The game could have taken a different course if Aquilani had
converted shortly afterwards when he had only Morgan De Sanctis
to beat but the Napoli goalkeeper tipped the ball away.
Cavani completed his hat-trick six minutes after the
re-start with another emphatic finish after Alessandro Nesta's
half-clearance landed at his feet.
Milan's desperation was summed up with a yellow card for
Alexandre Pato for diving and by Cassano's continuous
histrionics.