Lazio beat injury-depleted European champion Inter Milan 3-1 Friday to take back a share of the Serie A lead.
Giuseppe Biava put Lazio in front in the 27th minute at the Stadio Olimpico and Mauro Zarate made it 2-0 in the 52nd. Playing against his former club, Goran Pandev pulled one back for Inter in the 74th but Lazio's new Brazil midfielder Hernanes sealed the match in the 89th with a perfectly placed free kick.
Hernanes also contributed to Lazio's first two goals, with Biava knocking in a rebound of his header and Zarate collecting one of his pinpoint passes before beating Inter's offside trap.
Hernanes called it Lazio's best match of the season.
"We're on the right road. We never give up and now we've got to continue this way and see where we end up," Hernanes said.
Inter was without its top two strikers - Samuel Eto'o due to suspension and Diego Milito due to injury - as well as a host of other injured players, and Lazio dominated until Inter came alive in the final 15 minutes - too late to avoid its third loss in four matches.
Wesley Sneijder hit the crossbar for Inter in the fourth minute of second-half added time.
Lazio and AC Milan are tied with 30 points each, Juventus and Napoli are next with 24 apiece and Inter is tied for fifth with Palermo with 23.
Milan hosts Brescia on Saturday, Juventus visits Catania on Sunday and Napoli faces southern rival Palermo on Monday, with the matches spread out over four days under a new format used on occasion this season.
Playing its final Serie A match before the Club World Cup, Inter picked up another injury worry when midfielder Dejan Stankovic exited in the first half with an apparent left thigh problem.
Inter was already without goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defenders Walter Samuel, Maicon and Cristian Chivu, and midfielder Coutinho, plus Milito.
"With the World Cup (approaching), it wasn't easy to focus," said Inter manager Rafa Benitez.
Lazio also led for several weeks at the start of the season.
