Brazilian teenager Alexandre Pato scored on his long-awaited debut as Milan beat Napoli 5-2 in a thrilling match at the San Siro.

Three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo scored a diving header to add to his contentious opener while the current holder of that title, Kaka, netted a spectacular goal of his own, with Clarence Seedorf also getting on the scoresheet.

The Neopolitan side were on level terms at half-time, having come from behind twice through Roberto Sosa and a Maurizio Domizzi penalty.

The opening goal involved Pato, but in curious and controversial fashion.

Ronaldo's shot deflected up into the air and goalbound off goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo, and as defender Andrea Cupi scrambled back to hack the ball off the line, Pato jumped in to try and head it in from point-blank range.

Cupi's boot just got there first, but his clearance via the crossbar was a fraction too late, as the ball was correctly adjudged to have already crossed the line.

The Napoli players were furious, not with that call, but that Pato had been in an offside position after Ronaldo's initial effort - but their protests were to no avail.

Napoli had looked threatening on the break and they got their reward on the half-hour mark when Ezequiel Lavezzi steered a long ball across for Roberto Sosa to knock past Dida first time.

Milan were back in front three minutes later when Iezzo made an excellent double-save from Pato but could do nothing for Seedorf's close-range finish, which the Dutchman hammered into the roof of the net.

Napoli went into the break on terms after Kakha Kaladze brought down Lavezzi in the area and Domizzi calmly stroked the ball in from the spot.

Milan came out for the second half with renewed vigour and it was less than a minute before Ronaldo dived to head in Seedorf's inviting cross to regain the lead.

Kaka put the game beyond doubt with a stunning strike from outside the box before Pato capped off a fabulous evening for the home side with a sublime goal.

He controlled a long ball with one touch that left Cupi for dead before placing his effort on goal underneath Iezzo to make it 5-2.

Many were hoping that the 18-year-old could kickstart the Rossoneri's faltering campaign, but it was the team as a whole that combined to give hope that they can rescue their season, which has been well below expectations up until now.

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ATALANTA 1-2 ROMA

Roma took advantage of Juventus's draw with Catania on Saturday to regain second spot by beating Atalanta 2-1 in Bergamo.

Francesco Totti's low free-kick was too powerful for goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola and the Roma captain scored to cancel out Adriano Ferreira Pinto's 17th-minute opener.

Brazilian forward Alessandro Mancini then curled a quality strike into the top corner just before half-time and the visitors held on for the win.

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CAGLIARI 0-1 UDINESE

Italy striker Fabio Quagliarella grabbed his seventh league goal this term after he raced onto a long ball and slotted home for the away side on 32 minutes.

Fourth-placed Udinese won despite defender Felipe's dismissal for two bookings in the first half.

Joaquin Larrivey was sent off for basement side Cagliari late on after applauding the referee when he collected a first yellow.

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LAZIO 1-2 GENOA

Home midfielder Stefano Mauri blasted in the opener after Genoa keeper Rubinho had spilled a corner.

Marco Borriello equalised from the spot for Genoa early in the second half after Lazio's Guglielmo Stendardo was harshly adjudged to have brought down Omar Milanetto, who appeared to have stumbled.

Former Milan striker Borriello doubled his tally on 55 minutes when he headed in Milanetto's free-kick.

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PARMA 1-2 FIORENTINA

Adrian Mutu's double gave the fifth-placed visitors a fortunate victory in an entertaining game.

The Romanian's deflected header from a corner just before the interval broke the deadlock but Parma dragged themselves level through a header from Senegalese defender Ferdinand Coly.

Mutu's late penalty settled the affair although Christian Vieri appeared to dive to win the spot-kick. Parma's Andrea Pisanu also struck the post.

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SAMPDORIA 3-0 PALERMO

Striker Claudio Bellucci put the hosts ahead midway through the first half when he picked up Antonio Cassano's pass and burst into the box before finishing with aplomb.

Paolo Sammarco made it two when he tapped in on half-time after Cassano had struck the bar with a deflected free-kick.

On-loan Real Madrid striker Cassano scored a deserved third in the second half.

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SIENA 2-3 INTER

Internazionale maintained their seven-point gap at the top of the Serie A table with a 3-2 win over Siena.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a stunning strike from distance to add to his first-half penalty and the goal he set up for Esteban Cambiasso on the stroke of half-time.

Massimo Maccarone had levelled for Siena on the half hour with a tap-in, but by the time Argentinian striker Fernando Forestieri scored his first goal for the club in second-half injury-time, the points were already destined for the defending champions.

Siena remain in the relegation zone.

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TORINO 1-2 LIVORNO

Francesco Tavano expertly controlled a long ball forward before scoring with ease to give the visitors the lead and he doubled their advantage in first-half injury-time after the ball had cannoned off the bar from Diego Tristan's free-kick.

Davide Bottone scored for Torino in the second period but the home side were generally outplayed in this bottom-half battle.

Tony Mabert, Eurosport / Reuters