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Moise Kean fired Fiorentina level with Serie A leaders Napoli after scoring all three goals in Sunday's 3-1 win over Verona while Roma fell deeper into crisis with a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Bologna.
Italy forward Kean has scored 11 times in all competitions for Fiorentina since signing from Juventus in the summer, and his strikes on Sunday moved his team up to third on 25 points following a sixth straight league win.
Kean put Fiorentina ahead in the fourth minute in Florence with a fine finish and, after Suat Serdar rifled home an 18th-minute leveller, acrobatically flicked home the second just before the hour.
The 24-year-old, who has been reborn in Tuscany after failing to make the grade at Juve, then secured his hat-trick in stoppage time when he collected a long pass from goalkeeper David de Gea and surged forward before rifling home the third.
Raffaele Palladino's Fiorentina and second-placed Atalanta trail Napoli, who face Inter Milan later on Sunday, despite having a superior goal difference as both teams have played one game more.
Atalanta, 2-1 winners over Udinese, cannot finish the day top as Inter are a point behind the leading trio in fourth place so whatever happens at the San Siro either the champions or Napoli will lead the pack come Sunday night.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side beat Udinese after coming back from going a goal down on the stroke of half-time following a thunderous strike from Hassane Kamara.
Mario Pasalic levelled 11 minutes after the break before an unfortunate own goal from Isaak Toure moments later gave Atalanta their sixth straight league win.
Atalanta have won eight in an unbeaten run of 10 matches spanning all competitions and have deserved to be considered contenders for what would be their first ever Serie A title.
Under Gasperini and the guidance of the Percassi family, who are from Bergamo, Atalanta have slowly worked their way up from provincial also-rans to become one of Italy's top teams and last season's Europa League winners.
Gasperini has admitted in recent weeks that his team can be considered Scudetto hopefuls and they showed resilience to battle back against Udinese who sit ninth on 16 points after their third straight defeat.
Santiago Castro, Riccardo Orsolini and Jesper Karlsson gave Bologna an impressive win at Roma who sit just four points above the relegation zone in 13th and were loudly booed off the field after another dismal performance which is likely to be the end of Ivan Juric's reign as coach.
Stephan El Shaaraway's brace, including a 63rd-minute strike which briefly levelled the scores at 1-1, wasn't enough for Roma who have to travel to Napoli after the international break.
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