Joaquin Correa scored twice in the space of eight second-half minutes to earn Inter Milan a 2-0 win over Udinese and provisionally lift the champions to four points off top spot in Serie A on Sunday.
Simone Inzaghi’s side is third with 24 points, four behind leader Napoli and second-placed AC Milan, who face Salernitana and AS Roma respectively later the same day.
The hosts struggled to break down a well-organized Udinese defense in the first half despite the efforts of midfielder Nicolo Barella, who fired seven shots at goal before halftime.
But a superb individual effort from Argentina forward Correa put Inter in front after an hour, and he fired in a second eight minutes later to earn the Nerazzurri a comfortable victory.
Inzaghi rotated his team amid a busy run of fixtures for Inter, with Stefan De Vrij and Lautaro Martinez among the players rested ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Sheriff Tiraspol and next weekend’s Milan derby against AC Milan.
Prematch reports suggested that Italy international Barella might also have been given a rest, but he started and proved more determined than anyone to open the scoring in the first half.
The 24-year-old sent a dipping shot narrowly over and forced two good saves from Marco Silvestri as he produced seven shots before the break, more than any midfielder has mustered in a full Serie A game this season.
But it was Correa who eventually found a way through on the 60th minute, dribbling in from the left wing, skipping past Bram Nuytinck and shooting into the bottom corner.
The Argentine, who had a quiet afternoon until his goal, soon added a second when Denzel Dumfries picked him out at the edge of the box with a cut-back and the striker had time and space to pick out the top corner.
Udinese substitute Gerard Deulofeu provided a spark from the bench, drawing a fingertip save from Samir Handanovic before scoring in a crowded box from the resulting corner, but the goal was disallowed for an earlier offside.
A brace from Giovanni Simeone inspired Hellas Verona to condemn Juventus to a 2-1 loss, as the Serie A giant's miserable start to the season continued.
The defeat sent Massimiliano Allegri's side to ninth in the standings.
Giovanni Simeone, the eldest son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, scored four in last weekend's 4-1 win over Lazio, and he added two more goals inside 14 minutes in Veneto.
The first was a poacher's finish from close range and the second was a sensational, dipping effort from distance to stun a static Juve defense.
Allegri rang the changes in the second half as he looked to turn things around, with one of his substitutes – American Weston McKennie – firing home 10 minutes from time.
The visiting side could not find an equalizer, however, as it slipped to a second league defeat in four days to stay 13 points behind leader Napoli having played one game more, while Verona climbed to eighth with a deserved victory.
"We just need to work," Allegri told DAZN. "We have to take responsibility and accept reality, that we are a mid-table team. The qualities are there, but we need to do so much more.
"In some way, we will come out of it. Things will settle down."
Elsewhere in Serie A on Saturday, Atalanta came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Lazio in Bergamo, Marten de Roon earning the host a point in the 94th minute.
Juve looked to have turned things around following its disappointing start to the season as it went into the midweek clash with Sassuolo unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.
But the effects of a shock 2-1 home loss on Wednesday had not worn off by the time they took to the field in Verona, as Simeone capitalized on slack defending to put the hosts in front after 11 minutes.
Three minutes later Simeone arrowed a brilliant strike into the top corner from 20 meters, becoming only the seventh player in Serie A history to score two or more goals against Juventus in the same game for three different sides – Genoa, Cagliari and Verona.
"He’s a great striker, there is no need for explanation," Verona coach Igor Tudor said. "As well as being a fine striker, he's intelligent, humble, eager to learn.
"The quality isn't just in the legs, but also in the mentality and hunger."
Juventus has now conceded at least 15 goals in its first 11 Serie A matches of the season for the first time since 1961-62.
Until McKennie's fine finish Juve did not really look like scoring, and it only had one good chance to snatch a fortunate point when Paulo Dybala was denied by a fine save from home goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo in the dying minutes.
