In-form Napoli keep rolling, Inter stumble at Monza

Napoli are top of Serie A after thrashing Cagliari 4-0 on Sunday in a match which was stopped in the first half due to fan disorder, as Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw at Monza ahead of their Champions League opener at Manchester City.

Goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Romelu Lukaku and Alessandro Buongiorno gave Napoli their third straight win and a one-point lead over Inter, Torino and Juventus, who they face in Turin next weekend.

Sunday's display was another step in the right direction for new coach Antonio Conte, who is already having to field questions about whether his team will challenge for the league title.

"Teams are still settling in as the transfer window closed late and we are all trying to find our shape," said Conte to DAZN.

"We've worked hard over the last two and a half months, we've got to keep pushing forward without thinking about anyone else."

Napoli's win was marred by ugly scenes midway through the opening period when the away fans unveiled a banner which mimicked sheep bleating and sparked the throwing of objects between the two sets of supporters.

That banner came after Napoli's fans were pictured with another one on their ferry trip to largely rural Sardinia which read "sheep hunting".

The match was stopped for seven minutes as both home and away ends supporters threw projectiles and flares.

Antonio Conte's side were already leading at that point through Di Lorenzo's wildly deflected 18th-minute opener, and Kvaratskhelia and Lukaku showed signs of a burgeoning partnership by setting each other up for the goals which sealed the three points by the 70th minute.

Buongiorno nodded home the fourth in stoppage time to make it a perfect night for Napoli and set up a mouth-watering clash with Juve.

Inter gave up their league lead as Denzel Dumfries saved a point for the champions with three minutes remaining after Dany Mota's brilliant 81st minute header threatened to give Monza their first win under new coach Alessandro Nesta.

Simone Inzaghi's side, who would have moved a point above Napoli with a win, created very little in a largely drab encounter at the U-Power Stadium and will need to improve at City on Wednesday night, with the Milan derby also coming up next weekend.