Mohamed Salah hat-trick keeps Roma in touch with leaders Juventus

Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick as Roma kept in touch with the Serie A leaders Juventus by beating Bologna 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night.

Juve’s earlier victory at Chievo pushed them seven points clear at the top but free-scoring Roma made sure they cut the gap to four points with another impressive home win. Salah’s lucky opener punctuated a frustrating first half while his brace after the break was convincing.

Miralem Pjanic earlier fired home a 75th-minute free-kick as Juventus clinched a 2-1 win at Chievo. The Bianconeri had led through Mario Mandzukic’s second-half opener until Sergio Pellissier beat Gianluigi Buffon, who was making his 600th Serie A appearance, from the penalty spot.

The substitute Gianluca Lapadula grabbed his maiden Milan goal to earn the Scudetto-chasing Rossoneri all three points from their trip to Palermo as they stay in third place. His 27 goals helped Pescara achieve promotion to the top flight last season but the Turin-born striker has struggled to make an impact for his new employers at the San Siro.

After Suso gave Milan the lead in Sicily, Ilija Nestorovski set struggling Palermo on a path to their first point in five games, only for Lapadula to clinch a 2-1 triumph.

Internazionale’s as yet unnamed new head coach caught a glimpse of the size of the task awaiting him as the Nerazzurri struggled to put away the basement club Crotone.

The club will reveal the identity of Frank de Boer’s successor in the next couple of days – with Stefano Pioli the favourite – and the board’s pick has plenty to do to revive a title bid.

With time running out, Ivan Perisic broke the deadlock before Mauro Icardi grabbed a last-gasp double to secure a 3-0 home victory.

Atalanta extended their winning run to four matches with a 3-0 victory at Sassuolo. Alejandro Gómez opened the scoring with his third goal of the season while the defenders Mattia Caldara and Andrea Conti were also on target before half-time.

Massimo Maccarone’s double helped Empoli to an emphatic 4-0 win at Pescara and their first league success on the road this season. The veteran former Middlesbrough striker scored twice in the first half, either side of setting up Manuel Pucciarelli for Empoli’s second, while Riccardo Saponara added a fourth.

Elsewhere Luis Muriel cancelled out Federico Bernardeschi’s opener as Sampdoria rescued a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina while the Genoa midfielder Lucas Ocampos gave Udinese the same treatment by replying to Cyril Théréau’s goal at the Marassi.