Juventus win, Lazio beat Chievo Verona

Milan: Mauro Zarate's goal gave Lazio a 1-0 win over Chievo Verona on Sunday to share first place in the Serie A with defending champion Inter Milan.

Zarate scored in the 69th minute, slotting his shot low past goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

Inter and Lazio have 10 points from five matches, one more than Chievo and Brescia.

Bari beat Brescia 2-1, going ahead through Emanuel Rivas in the 16th. Panagiotis Kone equalized for Brescia on the half hour before Paulo Barreto scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 55th.

Milos Krasic hit a hat trick as Juventus beat Cagliari 4-2 to help lift Luigi Delneri's team to ninth in the standings.

Juventus was 2-1 up at halftime, with Alessandro Matri replying for the Sardinians. Leonardo Bonucci hit Juventus' third early in the second half before Krasic completed his treble in the 70th.

Matri scored his second in the 80th, but Juventus held on for its second league win of the season.

"When I got here last year we were bottom of the standings," Lazio coach Edy Reja said. "It is a deserved result after all the work we have done to get here.

"Today the defense was especially excellent, but the same could be said for the midfield and the attack."

Chievo Verona also started the day hoping to go clear at the top, but lacked energy and inspiration.

"Our first half was poor and contrasted to Lazio's," Chievo coach Stefano Piolo said. "We improved in the second half, but unfortunately Lazio scored just as we were getting on top."

Neither side came close to scoring and the nearest either team came was when Sorrentino rushed off his line to smother Zarate's shot midway through the first half.

Chievo's leading scorer, Sergio Pellissier, limped off just after halftime with a leg injury to leave the hosts without a focal point in its attack.

Lazio took advantage and took the lead when Stefano Mauri played in Zarate behind the Chievo defense to score.

"We have to be calm because there is a long way to go and we have to keep winning," Reja said. "We have got a good team spirit in matches and training and that is reflected in where we are in the standings."

Brescia also could have gone top of the standings with a win, but was defeated by a more determined Bari side.

"We had a good game at a ground where it is hard to come and play," Brescia coach Giuseppe Iachini said. "In the first half, we had some chances to take the lead but couldn't. Bari had one chance and took it."

Rivas got in behind the Brescia defense to open the scoring before Kone drew Brescia level following a strong run through midfield.

Brescia goalkeeper Matteo Sereni pushed Barreto's header round the post a minute later, but the Brazilian found the net with a low, powerfully hit penalty after he had been brought down by Gilberto Martinez.

In injury time, Martinez forced Jean Gillet into a sharp save, and the goalkeeper recovered to beat Francesco Bega to the rebound.

Also Sunday, it was: Cesena 1, Napoli 4; Catania 1, Bologna 1; Fiorentina 2, Parma 0; Palermo 2, Lecce 2 and Sampdoria 0, Udinese 0.