Fiorentina’s forward Nikola Kalinic (right) celebrates after scoring against Empoli during the Italian Serie A at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence. (AFP)

AFP/Rome


Title-chasing Napoli were left provisionally top of Serie A on goal difference yesterday after a Nikola Kalinic-inspired Fiorentina were held 2-2 by Empoli in Florence. Earlier, Gonzalo Higuain hit his 10th goal of the campaign to take the lead in Serie A’s scoring charts and fire Napoli one-point clear of Fiorentina after a 2-0 win at struggling Verona.
But Fiorentina maintained their hopes in what continues to be a thrilling battle for this season’s scudetto and were unlucky not to go two points clear after spurning a series of late chances at the Artemio Franchi.
Inter Milan, in fourth one point off the pace, can return to the top of the table with a win over Frosinone at the San Siro in last night’s late game.
In the meantime, Napoli will enjoy at least a few hours as the Serie A leaders, although Fiorentina are only in second due to inferior goal difference and Roma are just one point adrift in third after being held 2-2 at Bologna on Saturday.
Empoli travelled to Florence looking for their fourth win in six league outings and were well on their way after taking a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Marko Livaja and Marcel Buchel.
Livaja put the visitors ahead with a crisp strike that beat Ciprian Tatarusanu at his top corner on 18 minutes, although there were clear signs of offside.
Buchel doubled Empoli’s lead nine minutes later and for the remainder of the opening half Fiorentina struggled to find the breakthrough.
Paulo Sousa had rested his most potent strike pair, Kalinic and Josip Ilicic, with one eye on Thursday’s Europa League clash against the coach’s former club, FC Basel. But the canny Portuguese handler soon changed tack, Kalinic and Federico Bernardeschi replacing Mario Suarez and Ante Rebic for the start of the second half.
The impact was almost immediate, Croatia marksman Kalinic reducing arrears with a finely-taken header from just outside the six-yard box that Lukasz Skorupski could only swipe at in the 56th minute.
Kalinic had his brace inside five minutes when he squeezed between two defenders to slot Babarcar’s low delivery home after the Senegalese striker had been given acres of space on the right.
Kalinic could have secured his second hat-trick of the season, after his triple in a 4-1 win at Inter Milan, 13 minutes from the end but saw his first-timer from eight yards out glance off the top of the crossbar.  
Babacar made way for Giuseppe Rossi moments later but the American-born striker was eclipsed as Kalinic, and then Matias Vecino, came closest to securing all three points.
Kalinic’s late acrobatic effort saw the Croatian bundle just wide at the back post and Vecino’s strike from distance at the death had Skorupski at fully stretch to parry.
Elsewhere, ex-Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella began his reign in charge at Sampdoria, following the sacking of Walter Zenga, with a 1-0 defeat at Udinese, where Emmanuel Badu’s 35th minute strike secured the hosts’ second home sin of the season.  
Lazio needed a second-half penalty from Italy winger Antonio Candreva to snatch a share of the points against visiting Palermo, who took a 22nd minute lead thanks to Edoardo Goldaniga.
Higuain was expected to start on the bench for yesterday’s trip to the Bentegodi stadium after coach Maurizio Sarri claimed the Argentina striker had returned “fatigued” from international duty in midweek.
But Higuain shook off the effects of his cross-Atlantic trip to bundle home from close range to double the visitors lead after Lorenzo Insigne had broken the deadlock on 67 minutes.