Round 11 of Serie A at the weekend saw just three sides pick up home wins in a set of fixtures that once again had Italy go goal-crazy with 24 strikes in 10 games.
Roma's 100% record finally came to an end on Sunday night with a 1-1 draw at Torino, with Juventus and Napoli taking advantage to close the gap on Rudi Garcia's record-breakers to three points.
There were contrasting fortunes for the San Siro giants as AC Milan slipped to their fifth defeat of the campaign at home to Fiorentina, while Inter Milan enjoyed a 3-0 win at Udinese.
Elsewhere, Lazio coach Vladimir Petkovic was worsened by a surprise 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Genoa, with the game of the weekend featuring a Domeninco Berardi hat-trick as Sassuolo edged Sampdoria 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller.
Here, Sports Mole picks out the 11 stars to shine brightest on a busy weekend of Calcio, as the Serie A table begins to take shape with a third of the campaign nearly complete.
Mattia Perin (Genoa)
Gian Piero Gasperini's honeymoon period at Genoa continued with an eye-catching success at Lazio on Sunday, but the Rossoblu largely had Perin to thank for three hard-earned points. The 20-year-old kept Miroslav Klose and Antonio Candreva quiet and was well worth his clean sheet in a commanding display.
Stefan Savic (Fiorentina)
Fiorentina's controlled, efficient performance at the San Siro owed much to a solid defensive showing, which featured Stefan Savic consistently frustrating Mario Balotelli. The young defender is finally showing the form that attracted Roberto Mancini's attention during his time as Manchester City boss.
Gonzalo Rodriguez (Fiorentina)
Not to be outdone by his younger teammate, Gonzalo Rodriguez produced a commanding effort to steer La Viola to victory in Milan, taking over marking duties on Balotelli from set pieces and doing an impressive job.
Alessandro Lucarelli (Parma)
Parma may not have been able to take any points from Juventus last weekend, but that was not due to a lack of effort from Alessandro Lucarelli. Parma's defensive linchpin largely nullified Carlos Tevez and showed awareness to frustrate the Old Lady for large spells.
Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan)
Inter Milan's Argentine midfield veteran was at the heart of everything good about their impressive away win over Udinese, breaking up play and regularly entering the final third to feed Fredy Guarin, Rodrigo Palacio and Ricky Alvarez. On this evidence coach Walter Mazzarri is showing that he has the experienced members of his squad on board.
Marek Hamsik (Napoli)
After a quiet few weeks Marek Hamsik returned to the goal column in some style at the weekend, scoring from distance to help Napoli down a stubborn Catania on Saturday night. The Slovakian is enjoying life under Rafael Benitez and looks to be playing with more freedom than ever before.
Borja Valero (Fiorentina)
Back to La Viola's victory at the San Siro, and another imposing display from Spanish playmaker Borja Valero, who capped a display full of energy with the crucial second goal late on. Vincenzo Montella's men need Valero to stay on form this season - he is very much the heartbeat of the team in an advanced midfield role.
Miralem Pjanic (Roma)
Roma's winning run may have ended at Torino on Sunday night, but Miralem Pjanic was still quite magnificent. Pushed forward in a wide role the Bosnian shone, setting up the opening goal and rarely losing possession. Garcia's decision to retain his services has already been vindicated.
Alessio Cerci (Torino)
Staying with Torino versus Roma, and another virtuoso performance from Alessio Cerci, who was back on form in his favoured position on the right wing. The Italy international netted against his old club to cap a display full of direct running into dangerous areas, becoming only the second player to score against Roma this season.
Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
What a way for Juventus loanee Domenico Berardi to announce his arrival in Serie A, scoring a hat-trick at Sampdoria to help the newly-promoted side earn a huge win away from home! His treble included a stoppage-time penalty that secured all three points, all at the tender age of 19.
Rodrigo Palacio (Inter)
Palacio's pacy, persistent style was once again on show at Stadio Friuli on Sunday, as he scored early on against Udinese before laying on a goal for strike partner Alvarez by beating the offside trap. The Argentine forward continues to be a consistent supply line for the Nerazzurri, all the more important given Diego Milito's recent injury woes.
