Milan secure dramatic win

Substitute Kevin-Prince Boateng scored a hat trick as a stunning second-half comeback for AC Milan saw the Serie A champions recover from three goals down to beat Lecce 4-3.

Giullermo Giacomazzi headed Lecce in front in the fourth minute, while Massimo Oddo converted a penalty kick and Carlos Grossmuller added a third before half-time.

But Boateng came off the bench for Robinho and grabbed one back for Milan four minutes into the second half.

The Ghana international completed his hat trick within 14 minutes and Mario Yepes grabbed the winner with seven minutes left.

"I would say that our approach to the game was awful," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said. "Lecce had a great first half, we were far off, we didn't manage to play and let in two goals from dead ball situations.

"But we had a great reaction and, in the end, had a great game."

The victory lifts Milan into the top half of the Italian league, while Lecce remain second from bottom.

"It's really hard to talk about a game in which in the first half you're ahead 3-0 and then, at the final whistle, you lose 4-3," Lecce coach Eusebio Di Francesco said.

Players wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence at the start of every game, as a tribute to Italian rider Marco Simoncelli, who died yesterday after a crash at the Malaysian MotoGP motorcycle race.

Meanwhile, Udinese took sole leadership of the standings after cruising to a 3-0 win over Novara, thanks to two goals and an assist from Antonio Di Natale.

Di Natale broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute and Maurizio Domizzi doubled Udinese's tally six minutes later when he headed in a corner at the near post.

Di Natale grabbed his sixth of the season four minutes into the second half with a stunning free kick that Novara goalkeeper Alberto Maria Fontana could do nothing about.

Udinese moves a point clear at the top of the table, and is now two points better off than third-place Juventus, which drew 2-2 at home with Genoa on Saturday.

Lazio are in second, following their 2-0 victory at struggling Bologna.

Cagliari are three points off top spot following their goalless draw with Napoli.

Inter Milan grounded out a 1-0 victory at home to Chievo.

Roma also secured a narrow 1-0 win, and their victory over Palermo moves them into the top half of the table.

Cesena remains rooted to the bottom of the standings after losing 2-0 at Siena.

Elsewhere, a brace from Maxi Moralez secured Atalanta a 2-1 win at Parma.