Juventus Season 2012-2013

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Line-ups: Juventus-Parma

Aug 25, 2012

Juventus begin the defence of their Scudetto the way last term started, by facing Parma in Turin with Sebastian Giovinco upfront. However, there is a heavy thunderstorm over the Juventus Stadium and kick-off could possibly be delayed.

The Bianconeri’s first match in their unbeaten run of 2011-12 was a 4-1 victory over the Ducali, but this time Antonio Conte is not on the bench due to his 10-month ban.

Massimo Carrera takes the reins, although he is without the injured Gianluigi Buffon, Lucio, Martin Caceres, Mauricio Isla and Simone Pepe.

Giovinco faces his former teammates by partnering Mirko Vucinic, while youngster Luca Marrone is again re-routed to defence after his summer experiments.

Parma have Daniele Galloppa suspended, plus Amauri, Raffaele Palladino, Nicola Sansone and Fabiano Santacroce unavailable.

Roberto Donadoni’s men ended last season with a club record seven consecutive victories, but give the Serie A debut to Colombian hitman Dorlan Pabon.

Jonathan Biabiany is pushed up into an attacking role to support him, while Aleandro Rosi steps into midfield.

Juventus: Storari; Barzagli, Marrone, Bonucci; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Giovinco, Vucinic

Juventus bench: Storari, Barzagli, Marrone, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah, Giovinco, Vucinic

Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paletta, Lucarelli; Rosi, Acquah, Valdes, Parolo, Gobbi; Pabon, Biabiany

Parma bench: Pavarini, Bajza, Fideleff, Benalouane, Musacci, Modesto, Morrone, Ninis, Belfodil, Pelle

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

HT: Vidal wastes Juve penalty

Aug 25, 2012

Juventus are stuttering in the first half of their season opener with Parma, as Arturo Vidal saw his penalty saved.

The reigning champions began their campaign the same way as in 2011-12, by welcoming Parma to Turin. This time Sebastian Giovinco was playing for the home side and partnered Mirko Vucinic. Gigi Buffon, Simone Pepe, Lucio, Mauricio Isla and Martin Caceres were injured, so Luca Marrone went into central defence.

Parma had Daniele Galloppa suspended, Amauri, Nicola Sansone, Raffaele Palladino and Fabiano Santacroce sidelined, so Jonathan Biabiany went into attack with debutant Dorlan Pabon. There were fears kick-off could be delayed after a thunderstorm hit 40 minutes before kick-off, but the pitch was drained in time.

Giovinco didn’t have a good start against his former teammates, as he was booked for simulation early on. An Andrea Pirlo free kick was nodded on to the roof of the net by Vucinic. At full stretch the Montenegrin also just failed to get on the end of a Pirlo pass across the face of goal.

On 33 minutes Stephan Lichtsteiner ran on to a ricochet and Antonio Mirante rushed off his line to close him down, but the goalkeeper caught his shin for a penalty. The Swiss wing-back was clearly offside in the lead-up, though. Arturo Vidal stepped up and fired a weak spot-kick straight at Mirante!

Vucinic’s angled drive was somewhere between cross and shot, while Giovinco’s effort was too timid to trouble Mirante. In first half stoppages Vucinic saw the goalkeeper off his line and tried a cheeky strike from a tight angle, just clipping the bar.

Juventus 0-0 Parma (Half-Time)

Juventus: Storari; Barzagli, Marrone, Bonucci; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Giovinco, Vucinic

Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paletta, Lucarelli; Rosi, Acquah, Valdes, Parolo, Gobbi; Pabon, Biabiany

Ref: Romeo

Missed penalty: Vidal 34 (J)

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54′)

Andrea Pirlo (58′)

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771‎

Pirlo free-kick seals opening-day win for champions

The veteran midfielder scored with a free kick judged over the line by the fifth official,

after Lichtsteiner had fired the Old Lady ahead at the start of the second half.

Aug 25, 2012

Juventus shrugged off a penalty miss from Arturo Vidal to run out comfortable winners against Parma, goals from Stephan Lichtsteiner and Andrea Pirlo sealing a 2-0 win on Serie A's opening weekend.

The Switzerland international turned in from Kwadwo Asamoah's cross just after the interval, atoning for his Chilean team-mate who had seen his kick saved from the spot by Antonio Mirante. Three points were secured by Pirlo, whose low free-kick originally appeared to have been stopped before it was allowed on the advice of the fifth official.

Parma started brightly against the Serie A holders, looking to capitalise on the counterattack through pacey forwards Dorlan Pabon and Jonthan Biabiany and get behind an Old Lady backline missing stars like Martin Caceres, Simone Pepe and Lucio. An early break from Pabon ended in a speculative effort that was easily stopped by Marco Storari, but it was from the dead ball that the Colombian debutant would cause the hosts the most trouble.

It was his corner that found Marco Parolo completely unmarked, but the midfielder wasted a golden chance by heading over the crossbar. Juve legend Andrea Pirlo also showed off his skills on the deck, floating a dangerous free kick into the box that was glanced just over by Mirko Vucinic.

After a quiet start to proceedings, Juventus started to show their dominance as the half wore on. In his first official game, Kwadwo Asamoah was a dynamic force on the left hand side as the Turin side pushed forwards in numbers. Thirty-four minutes into the half, the home side should have taken the lead.

A rushed clearance from Gabriel Paletta hit Vucinic, leaving Stephan Lichtsteiner clean through on goal. The midfielder was clearly offside and should have been called back, but it was Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante who was sanctioned as he brought his opponent down in the box, conceding a contentious penalty and earning a yellow card. The former Juve academy player redeemed himself, however, saving from Vidal after the Chilean hit a tame effort from 12 yards.

Vidal once again was handed an excellent chance to hit the net barely five minutes into the second half. Asamoah drove a delicious low ball across the face of goal, but the Chilean had to deal with an acute angle and could only turn into the side netting at full stretch.

The breakthrough would not take much longer to arrive, however. More excellent work from Asamoah out wide led to another cross, and Lichtsteiner was in exactly the right place to calmly finish and put the hosts into a deserved lead. Parma were rattled, and captain Alessandro Lucarelli was extremely lucky to only receive a booking for an ugly challenge on Vidal that appeared to use the elbow.

A second for Juve came in bizarre fashion just minutes later. Mirante appeared to have saved Andrea Pirlo's free kick right on the line. But referee Romeo disagreed and, after some consultation with the fifth official, ruled that the veteran midfielder had scored - to the delight of the home fans, who were in one voice praising the Italy international.

Having done little since the opening minutes of the encounter, going two down prompted Parma to show more urgency going forward. Biabiany gave Juve fans a big scare as he connected with substitute Sotiris Ninis' through ball, but Storari was equal to the challenge as he parried the shot behind. Juventus by and large continued to look comfortable, passing the ball around with authority as they looked to close out the remainder of the encounter.

Biabiany continued to be the focal point of Parma's attack, and his teasing cross had to be dealt with by Barzagli as Belfodil bore down on goal. There was to be no way through for the visitors, however, as a fantastic double save at the death from Storari secured his clean sheet and Juventus stayed firm to record three points at the start of their quest to retain the 2011-12 title.

Juve's next Serie A test comes on Sunday, when they will visit Udinese. Parma, meanwhile, host Chievo on the same day.

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54′)

Andrea Pirlo (58′)

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771‎

Juve push past Parma

Aug 25, 2012

Juventus started the season with a win over Parma, with Arturo Vidal’s penalty was saved and Andrea Pirlo’s goal have been just some centimeters over the line.

The reigning champions began their campaign the same way as in 2011-12, by welcoming Parma to Turin. This time Sebastian Giovinco was playing for the home side and partnered Mirko Vucinic. Gigi Buffon, Simone Pepe, Lucio, Mauricio Isla and Martin Caceres were injured, so Luca Marrone went into central defence.

Parma had Daniele Galloppa suspended, Amauri, Nicola Sansone, Raffaele Palladino and Fabiano Santacroce sidelined, so Jonathan Biabiany went into attack with debutant Dorlan Pabon. There were fears kick-off could be delayed after a thunderstorm hit 40 minutes before kick-off, but the pitch was drained in time.

Giovinco didn’t have a good start against his former teammates, as he was booked for simulation early on. An Andrea Pirlo free kick was nodded on to the roof of the net by Vucinic. At full stretch the Montenegrin also just failed to get on the end of a Pirlo pass across the face of goal.

On 33 minutes Stephan Lichtsteiner ran on to a ricochet and Antonio Mirante rushed off his line to close him down, but the goalkeeper caught his shin for a penalty. The Swiss wing-back was clearly offside in the lead-up, though. Arturo Vidal stepped up and fired a weak spot-kick straight at Mirante!

Vucinic’s angled drive was somewhere between cross and shot, while Giovinco’s effort was too timid to trouble Mirante.

Straight after the restart Kwadwo Asamoah’s shot took a crucial deflection in front of goal, then the former Udinese man rolled a pass across to the back post where Vidal sliding in just failed to get the final touch.

Vucinic sprung the offside trap on a smart Vidal pass with the outside of the boot, but hesitated and fired straight at Mirante when Claudio Marchisio was clear. From the resulting corner, Marchisio’s volley was charged down.

The pressure was building and Juventus broke through when Asamoa skipped past Aleandro Rosi down the left and rolled across for Lichtsteiner to tap in from five yards, sneaking in between the Parma defenders.

Alessandro Lucarelli was booked for a body-check on Vidal. From that fierce Pirlo free kick, Mirante blocked it with some difficulty, but according to the official behind the goal it was already over the line. Video replays are not real clear and Juventus were awarded the second goal.

Parma substitute Sotiris Ninis fell in the box, but the referees did not consider the shove to be enough for a penalty. Moments later Biabiany ran on to a Ninis through ball and forced a save out of Marco Storari.

Giovinco hit the side-netting, but Parma had a great chance on the counter with Biabiany pulling back from the by-line for Ishak Belfodil’s deflected finish inches past the near post.

Another crucial Leonardo Bonucci sliding challenge managed to block a Jaime Valdes shot in the box. Greek international Sotiris Ninis unleashed a rocket from distance that Storari pushed out for a corner.

There were concerns in the final five minutes when Giovinco was stretchered off with an ankle injury.

Storari needed a double save on Ninis from distance and the follow-up at the near post by Massimo Gobbi.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juventus: Storari; Barzagli, Marrone, Bonucci; Lichtsteiner (Padoin 78), Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Giovinco (De Ceglie 86), Vucinic (Matri 79)

Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paletta, Lucarelli; Rosi (Pelle 80), Acquah (Ninis 58), Valdes, Parolo, Gobbi; Pabon (Belfodil 58), Biabiany

Ref: Romeo

Saved penalty: Vidal 34 (J)

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54′)

Andrea Pirlo (58′)

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771‎

Juve back with a bang

Aug 25, 2012

Juventus began the defence of their Serie A title with a 2-0 win over Parma, although they had their goalkeeper Marco Storari to thank for helping them to victory.

Arturo Vidal missed a penalty in the first half but the Bianconeri took the lead through Stephan Lichtsteiner in the 54th minute.

A disputable goal from Andrea Pirlo four minutes later looked to have wrapped up victory but it took some sterling saves from Storari to prevent Parma from finding a way back into the game and upsetting the fans, who were already celebrating inside the Juventus Arena.

With Massimo Carrera in charge on the Juventus bench following the upholding of Antonio Conte's 10-month ban for failing to report match-fixing while at Siena, there was little other difference to the Serie A title-holders at the start of the new season.

With the lively Sebastian Giovinco up against the side he represented while on loan last season, they harried and hassled the Parma defence, showing why they did not lose a single game last term.

Mirko Vucinic went close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute but sent his header over the crossbar.

Juve should have taken the lead 10 minutes before the break when the referee awarded them a penalty, Antonio Mirante adjudged to have brought down Lichtsteiner inside the penalty area.

However, Vidal's spot-kick was saved by the Parma goalkeeper, who got away with only a booking for the initial foul.

Lichtsteiner put Juventus ahead in the 54th minute when he met Kwadwo Asamoah's low cross from close range to tuck the ball in.

Pirlo made it two four minutes later, delivering a punishing blow to Parma.

The Italy international's direct free-kick was grasped by Mirante, who slid over the goal line but tried to keep the ball out. According to the referee, though, the ball had crossed the line fully and the goal was given.

Parma did not lose heart and the pacy Jonathan Biabiany proved to be a thorn in the side of the Juve defence.

Jaime Valdes missed the best chance for Parma in the 78th minute when he took too long with the ball and allowed Leonardo Bonucci to get back and make the tackle.

Marco Storari did well numerous times to keep a resurgent Parma out, most notably in the 87th minute when he first denied Sotiris Ninis and then got up to block Massimo Gobbi's effort.

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54')

Andrea Pirlo (58')

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771

Vidal and Marchisio pulled Juventus through,

says Carrera after win over Parma

The interim boss has highlighted the importance of the midfield duo for not shirking

responsibility during the opening-day victory, and spoke of his role in Antonio Conte's absence.

Aug 25, 2012

Massimo Carrera has hailed Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio for their respective roles in Juventus' 2-0 Serie A success over Parma on Sunday.

Second-half strikes from Stephan Lichtsteiner and Andrea Pirlo were enough to ensure the Old Lady started the defence of their Scudetto shield in winning fashion, despite a slow start in Turin.

However, Carrera, who has assumed caretaker responsibilities on matchdays following Antonio Conte's suspension, believes the victory must be attributed to a rise in performance levels of the two midfielders.

"Vidal felt that he was being pulled by one of the Parma players [in the build-up to his missed penalty]," the former Italy defender told Sky Sport Italia.

"During the first half, we maintained a slow pace, then Marchisio and Vidal grew and the team followed them."

Carrera then reflected on the displays given by summer signing Kwadwo Asamoah, who has impressed in an unfamilar left-wing position since his arrival from Udinese, and makeshift centre-back Luca Marrone.

"We tested Asamoah in that role during pre-season and he has shown that he can offer a lot there. His play was spot on," he added.

"Marrone in defence? He is doing well, but he has to work hard; he needs a little more experience."

The ex-Juve and Atalanta stopper has enjoyed a successful start to his spell in charge of the Bianconeri, having also won a Supercoppa title prior to the weekend, but he insists he is not thinking about the possibility of replacing Conte permanently.

"Antonio is a great coach with great charisma. I aim to bring the charge that he gives us on training onto the pitch," mused Carrera.

"In the match, I make the decisions. We work together and know each other's methods.

"Do I want to be the head coach? No, we want to continue with Conte."

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54′)

Andrea Pirlo (58′)

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771‎

Carrera: 'I made my decisions'

Aug 25, 2012

Stand-in Coach Massimo Carrera assures he “did not need” Antonio Conte’s advice to deal with Juventus-Parma.

He is on the touchline during Conte’s 10-month ban in the betting scandal and oversaw tonight’s 2-0 Serie A victory.

“My role is to deal with a football team, even if at times one has to raise his voice,” said Carrera of the half-time talk.

“Conte has great charisma and is a great Coach who fires up his men. I try to transmit that passion to the players on the field. I’ve been working with him for a year, so I know how he thinks and we continually exchange views.

“I left my phone on the team bus, so I haven’t heard from Conte during the game and made my own decisions.”

However, during his ban Conte is not allowed to communicate with Carrera on match day, even if he is in control of day-to-day training.

“What does my future hold? For the moment I am replacing my Coach on the touchline. I want to be his collaborator, then we’ll see.

“I did get a little angry with Mirko Vucinic when we conceded a counter-attack after his error, but we cleared the air immediately.”

There was an early scare when Arturo Vidal fired a poor penalty straight at the goalkeeper.

“Vidal wanted to take the penalty because he felt ready. Kwadwo Asamoah was a smart buy and the fact he started tonight proves that.”

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54′)

Andrea Pirlo (58′)

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771‎

Donadoni: 'Parma too timid'

Aug 25, 2012

Roberto Donadoni was disappointed with Parma’s performance at the Juventus Stadium. “We were too timid.”

The Ducali were beaten 2-0 in Turin this evening and only really threatened in the final half-hour.

“We conceded two goals in the space of four minutes. It’s a shame, because with a little more conviction and determination we could’ve done better, especially in the first half,” said the Coach.

“The team must grow, as we were too timid when faced with Juve’s aggressive approach. Dorlan Pabon has a great right foot, but the new players need time to settle in and understand the dynamics.”

There were some contentious incidents, as Stephan Lichtsteiner was offside when earning a penalty and the goal judge ruled Andrea Pirlo’s free kick had crossed the line.

“I don’t talk about referees,” insisted Donadoni. “The more eyes on the field, the better it is, but even then mistakes can happen. We need everyone to start seeing it this way, otherwise we’ll always be here talking about officials.”

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Week 1 - 25/8/12 (8:45 p.m.)

2 - 0

Stephan Lichtsteiner (54')

Andrea Pirlo (58')

Juventus Stadium - Torino

Referee: Andrea Romeo

Attendance: 37771

Player Ratings

Goal.com takes a look at the men who featured in Saturday's clash at Juventus Stadium,

won by goals from Lichtsteiner and Pirlo.

Aug 25, 2012

Juventus

Marco Storari 3.0 - Called into action only sporadically through a dominant performance by the hosts, but did well to deny Biabiany late in the second half and guarantee a clean sheet. Capped display with double save in the dying minutes.

Andrea Barzagli 3.0 - Made one crucial intervention to deny substitute Belfodil, stepping in to rob the striker after Biabiany had broken through. The highlight of a composed performance from the defender.

Leonardo Bonucci 2.5 - Caught out early on a couple of occasions by the pace in Parma's attack, but looked more comfortable as the game went on.

Stephan Lichtsteiner 3.0 - A livewire playing wide on the right. Won the penalty albeit from an offside position, and showed great awareness in arriving late in the area and stroking home the opening goal.

Claudio Marchisio 3.0 - Directed proceedings from the middle of the park alongside Pirlo. Rarely flashy in possession, but the heartbeat of the team as they took control in the second half.

Andrea Pirlo 3.0 - A great start to the season for the 33-year-old idol. Put the result beyond doubt with a trademark free kick, and his passing was a danger throughout for the visitors.

Kwadwo Asamoah 3.5 - An excellent debut for the Ghanaian, who started rather wasteful on the ball but got better as the game went on. Always a danger down the left, set up one goal and could have laid on another for Vidal.

Alberto Vidal 3.0 - A frustrating game for the Chilean, who was always looking for the ball and threatening in the final third. He will be disappointed with a tame penalty effort, but did well to stretch and reach Asamoah's cross in a move that almost opened the scoring.

Luca Marrone 3.0 - A defensive injury crisis forced the young midfielder to fill in alongside Barzagli and Bonucci, but aside from a couple of positional errors Luca will be happy with a solid display further down the field.

Mirko Vučinić 3.0 - The striker almost netted early on from Pirlo's cross, and was a valuable creative outlet in the box. Had little luck in front of goal and struggled to impose himself when it counted.

Sebastian Giovinco 2.5 - A quiet game from the forward as he started against his former club. Booked for a blatant dive in the first half and saw little of the ball.

• Substitutions

Paolo De Ceglie N/A - Just three minutes for the ex-Siena man as the game wound down.

Simone Padoin N/A - Came on for Lichtsteiner 10 minutes before the end, and had little time to make an impact.

Alessandro Matri N/A - Another late substitute in the Vecchia Signora ranks, coming on for Vucinic.

Parma

Antonio Mirante 3.0 - It wasn't the greatest kick, but the goalkeeper still did well to get down and keep out Vidal's penalty. No chance on the opener, and was unlucky to see a goal called against him after stopping Pirlo's free kick.

Cristian Zaccardo 2.5 - Given a torrid time out wide by Asamoah, dragged out of position and leaving vast holes behind him. Will want to forget the sight of the Ghanaian quickly.

Alessandro Lucarelli 3.0 - The captain tried his best to hold together a backline that was in danger of disintegrating during a nightmare start to the second half. An ugly forearm smash on Vidal could well have produced a red instead of just a booking.

Gabriel Paletta 3.0 - The Argentine's rushed clearance indirectly led to Juve's missed penalty, and he was nowhere to be seen when Lichtsteiner fired the Turin side into the lead, but did well to keep Juve's front two at bay.

Aleandro Rosi 3.0 - Toiled and worked down the flank, but by the end of the game was overwhelmed by Juventus' slick passing and movement. Subbed 10 minutes from the end.

Jaime Valdes 2.5 - The No. 10 showed moments of class, but was starved of the ball in a system that favoured swift counters and did not figure as much as he would have liked.

Marco Parolo 2.5 - Squandered Parma's best chance of the first half, blazing a free header over the bar from Pabon's corner. Matched Pirlo and Marchisio in the first 45, before being overrun after the interval.

Massimo Gobbi 2.5 - Like the rest of the Gialloblu midfield, had no answer when Juve stepped up a gear. Was spared by a poor offside call from the linesman, after playing Giovinco on as the forward surged through on goal.

Afriyie Acquah 2.5 - The young Ghanaian tried hard in the middle, but his most notable contribution was a cynical, nasty challenge on Pirlo that earned him a yellow card and could well have been another colour.

Jonathan Biabiany 2.5 - Always dangerous when released out wide or through the middle, and forced an excellent save from Storari from distance, but couldn't convert his play into a goal, and that proved costly.

Dorlan Pabón 2.5 - The pacey forward had mixed fortunes on his Serie A debut. Started brightly and was a threat from dead balls, but faded out of the game and was substituted following the first goal.

• Substitutions

Sotiris Ninis 3.0 - The Greece international injected more creativity into the game after coming on for Acquah, and played Biabiany in with a wonderful ball in his most meaningful contribution.

Ishak Belfodil 2.5 - Came on the pitch to try and salvage a goal for Parma, but in his best chance of the evening hesitated and saw the ball robbed from his feet by Barzagli.

Graziano Pellè 2.5 - A fleeting appearance from Pelle, who replaced Rosi with less than 10 minutes on the clock.

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A Round 1 Results: Lopez rescues

late point for Roma, Napoli cruise past Palermo

The Italian top-flight is up and running, as Vladimir Petkovic kicked off his reign

in charge of Lazio with a win, while Genoa and Chievo also registered opening-day victories.

Aug 26, 2012

Serie A

Round 1 Results

League Table

FIORENTINA 2 - 1 UDINESE ESE

Fiorentina began life under new coach Vincenzo Montella in Serie A with a win, as they edged past Udinese 2-1 at the Artemio Franchi in Saturday's curtain raiser.

The hosts enjoyed a productive summer, having bankrolled a heavy recruitment drive, bringing in the likes of Alberto Aquilani, David Pizarro and Borja Valero, but they were to go behind early on.

It was the Zebrette, fresh off a 1-1 draw with Braga in their Champions League play-off, who took the lead through new signing Maicosuel, who fired home Luis Muriel's intuitive through ball, on 27 minutes.

However, parity was restored near the hour mark via a volleyed attempt from want-away Stevan Jovetic on the edge of the box, albeit aided by a huge deflection en route to the back of the net.

And Jovetic was at the double to mark an impressive comeback for his side, as he conjured up a fine curling effort past Zeljko Brkic to put an under-strength Udinese to the sword.

JUVENTUS

JUVENTUS 2 - 0 PARMA

Match Report Player Ratings

AC MILAN 0 - 1 SAMPDORIA

Match Report Player Ratings

ATALANTA 0 - 1 LAZIO

Lazio maintained a 100 per cent record under the leadership of new boss Vladimir Petkovic with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Atalanta on Sunday.

Despite being forced to withstand the pressure of being visitors at the Azzurri d'Italia, the Biancocelesti nonetheless netted the winner just 17 minutes into proceedings thanks to Hernanes, who struck past Andrea Consigli following good work from Stefano Mauri.

The result puts Lazio seventh in the Serie A table after the first matchday, while Atalanta remain 19th and fail to make up any of their two-point deduction.

CHIEVO 2 - 0 BOLOGNA

Chievo carried on from last season's impressive 10th-placed finish by inflicting a 2-0 loss on a Gaston-Ramirez-less Bologna at the Bentegodi.

In an assured display from the Flying Donkeys, where they managed to stifle their opponents, legendary striker Sergio Pellissier opened his account for the season by finishing off a cross midway through the second half.

Peru international Rinaldo Cruzado then read Luciano's through pass to strike the ball beyond Federico Agliardi and ensure Chievo made an unbeaten start to the new campaign.

For Bologna, however, they suffered the disappointment of going a man down following Diego Perez's red card, as question marks hang over the future of their Uruguayan talisman.

GENOA 2 - 0 CAGLIARI

Genoa survived the humiliation of a missed penalty in the first half to eventually record a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cagliari in Liguria on Sunday.

Davide Astori's foul in the opening stages gave Cristobal Jorquera the chance of giving his team the lead from the spot, but Michael Agazzi guessed right to deny the attacking midfielder.

Nonetheless, Alexander Merkel popped up just six minutes after the restart to make sure Andreas Granqvist's header proved decisive from the rebound.

Luigi De Canio's side secured the three points late on, thanks to a classic striker's finish from Ciro Immobile, beating off the Cagliari defence to give his former club Juventus food for thought.

PALERMO 0 - 3 NAPOLI

Napoli produced an inspired performance at the Renzo Barbera to condemn an out-of-sorts Palermo to a 3-0 defeat in the opening matchday of Serie A.

The Partenopei were keen to forget their 4-2 reverse against Juventus in the Supercoppa, and they went some way towards attaining that through a Marek Hamsik strike on the stroke of half-time.

Hamsik was instrumental in his side's second of the evening, as he played in Christian Maggio, who peeled off from the right-hand side to poke the ball past a helpless Samir Ujkani.

Substitute Edu Vargas rounded off a comprehensive victory in injury time to already heap the pressure on new Palermo boss Giuseppe Sannino. Napoli, meanwhile, will look to build on their success, having joined Inter at the top of the table.

PESCARA 0 - 3 INTER

Match Report Player Ratings

ROMA 2 - 2 CATANIA

A managerial change may have been witnessed at Roma, but they proved to be still leaky at the back as they were forced to salvage a 2-2 draw with Catania at the Olimpico.

Returning coach Zdenek Zeman named an attackling line-up for the visit of the Elefanti, but he was made to pay for their lack of defensive discipline just 29 minutes in, as Giovanni Marchese slammed home a loose ball from a Sergio Almiron free-kick.

But in emphatic style, Pablo Osvaldo saw justice served for his disallowed overhead kick against Novara last season with a similarly spectacular effort midway through the second half. The game seemed to be finally in Roma's grasp.

However, as shown on many occasions in 2011-12, Catania showed great resilience. A defence-splitting pass from Francesco Lodi found Alejandro Gomez, clean through on the left wing with the goal at his mercy, and blasted the ball home.

Catania looked destined to head back to Sicily with all three points, but Nico Lopez stepped off the bench to coolly dink the ball over his marker and power a stinging low volley past Mariano Andujar from close range for a share of the spoils in injury time.

SIENA 0 - 0 TORINO

TORINO

In the last match of the first week's round-up, neither Siena nor Torino could muster a goal to speak of, as a 0-0 draw was to be the outcome in Tuscany.

A rather uneventful encounter was played out, as both sides failed to show much in terms of enterprise but it was the new boys who squandered the best chance of the match near half-time; however Rolando Bianchi could not turn and shoot past Jean-Francois Gillet in the box.

Siena hit back with a similarly passable opportunity of their own, but Gaetano D'Alessandro's free-kick from distance rattled the crossbar, leaving Torino in 11th place. The hosts, however, stay rooted to the bottom of Serie A with -5 points to their name.

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Serie A Team of the Week:

Jovetic & Milito steal the show in swashbuckling first round

Goal.com looks at the star performers from the opening round

of Italian league action at the weekend.

Aug 27, 2012

Serie A bounced back after a rollercoaster summer with a host of excellent matches over the weekend, and a fine collection of individual performances were in evidence around the peninsula. Inter and Napoli both recorded convincing away wins, and each have players in our inaugural Team of the Week as a result, while Sampdoria and Lazio also contribute after victories on the road as eight of our 11 come from teams who were in visiting dressing rooms. Here, Goal.com presents the star performers from the first round of action in Serie A.

One of the most notable results of the weekend came at San Siro, where Sampdoria grabbed a memorable 1-0 win on their return to the top flight. Part of the reason for their success was the form of Sergio Romero between the sticks. The Argentina international wasn't tested as much as he might have anticipated, but still did brilliantly to push a Mario Yepes effort onto the post and was an excellent leader at the back, with his anticipation and organisation ensuring that the Blucerchiati held out Milan late on.

Champions Juventus got off to a perfect start, beating Parma 2-0, and for a second successive season it was Stephan Lichtsteiner who opened the campaign with a goal. He was also resolute at the back, earning a spot on the right of our back three - a position he turned out in over the summer for the Bianconeri. He joins Danilo, Udinese's captain for the day, who followed up his magnificent performance in the Champions League against Braga in midweek by leading the Friulani to within three minutes of a precious point away to Fiorentina. Andrea Ranocchia earns the final defensive spot for his measured and mature showing against newly-promoted Pescara at the Adriatico. The former Genoa man will have quite a spotlight on him this term, but the early signs are positive.

Lazio provide 50 per cent of our midfield after chalking up a hugely merited win at Atalanta. Stefano Mauri was as creative as ever in a typically cultured attacking outfit, while Anderson Hernanes proved to be the right man in the right place at the right time as he turned in a low cross to chalk up the only goal of the game, capping a fine individual display. Marek Hamsik was also on the scoresheet, netting a powerful drive from Christian Maggio's pass against Palermo, and he also added an assist for Maggio in Napoli's 3-0 win. Kwadwo Asamoah followed his excellent Supercoppa Italiana performance with another encouraging display down the left for Juventus against Parma, showing once more that he could well go down as the signing of the summer.

Along the front line there was a large group of talent to choose from, but nobody did more for his team's cause than Stevan Jovetic. The Montenegrin was on hand to net Fiorentina's equaliser against Udinese before bagging a 91st-minute winner to send the Viola fans home happy in the season's opening fixture. Diego Milito outshone new team-mate Antonio Cassano in Inter's strikeforce by setting up goals for Wesley Sneijder and Philippe Coutinho. He also found time in between to turn home Cassano's low cross for a goal of his own in the 3-0 win in Pescara. Alejandro Gomez takes the final spot in the side for his lively display and cool finish for Catania, who very nearly left the Stadio Olimpico with all three points but had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Roma.

ROMERO (Sampdoria)

LICHTSTEINER (Juventus) - DANILO (Udinese) - RANOCCHIA (Inter)

MAURI (Lazio) - HAMSIK (Napoli) - HERNANES (Lazio) - ASAMOAH (Juvents)

JOVETIC (Fiorentina)

MILITO (Inter) - GOMEZ (Catania)

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Serie A Week 2 - 2-9-2012 (6:00 p.m.)

-

Friuli Stadium - Udine

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Serie A Preview - Wounded Zebrette look

to bounce back against Bianconeri

Francesco Guidolin is reeling at the moment, having seen his side lose their Serie A

opener before once again failing to qualify for the Champions League group stages.

Sep 1, 2012

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

UDINESE

Brkic

Heurtaux, Danilo, Coda

Basta, Faraoni, Willians, Pereyra, Pasquale

Maicosuel

Di Natale

JUVENTUS

Buffon

Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini

Lichsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah

Matri, Vucinic

Udinese will be desperate to kickstart their 2012/13 campaign when they face Italian champions Juventus at the Friuli on Sunday evening.

After slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina on the opening day of the new Serie A season last weekend, the Zebrette then saw their hopes of qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League dashed in agonising fashion, Francesco Guidolin's men suffering a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Braga.

Antonio Di Natale will make his first league appearance of the season, after being forced to sit out the trip to Florence, and will be supported by Maicosuel, who is expected to be promoted to the starting lineup in spite of his decisive missed penalty in midweek.

Elsewhere, Giampiero Pinzi has been ruled out by injury, while Thomas Heurtaux, Andrea Coda and Marco Faraoni are all set to be recalled.

As for Juve, Sebastian Giovinco misses out with a minor knock, so Alessandro Matri is likely to start up front alongside Mirko Vucinic, and the former Cagliari man will no doubt be keen to prove his worth with Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner having arrived in Turin on transfer deadline day.

The Bianconeri are also buoyed by the return of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Giorgio Chiellini, both of whom were sidelined for last weekend's 2-0 victory over Parma.

Aside from those changes, it's expected to be a case of as you were for the champions, with Kwadwo Asamoah poised to make his first appearance against his former club.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Udinese also fell at the final qualifying round of the Champions League last season, losing 3-1 on aggregate to English outfit Arsenal.

• The Zebrette did make it through in 2005 but they failed to make it out of a group containing Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen and FC Barcelona.

• Kwadwo Asamoah, who arrived at Juventus Stadium during the summer, made 114 appearances for Udinese in Serie A, scoring eight goals.

• Chile international Mauricio Isla also swapped Udine for Turin this summer but he misses the game against his former employers through injury.

• Juventus have now gone 40 games undefeated in Serie A, following last weekend's victory over Parma.

• Italy and Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon is embarking upon his 12th campaign with the Bianconeri.

• Alessandro Matri was Juve's top scorer in Serie A last season, despite managing to find the net just 10 times in 31 appearances.

Head to Head

Serie A ‎- Jan 28, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Udinese 1

Serie A ‎- Dec 21, 2011 - Udinese 0 - Juventus 0

Serie A - Jan 30, 2011 - Juventus 1 - Udinese 2

Serie A ‎- Sep 19, 2010 - Udinese 0 - Juventus 4

Serie A ‎- Apr 3, 2010 - Udinese 3 - Juventus 0

Last Five Matches

Udinese

Aug 28, 2012 - Udinese 1 - Sporting Braga 1 - C.L.

Aug 25, 2012 - Fiorentina 2 - Udinese 1 - Serie A

Aug 22, 2012 - Sporting Braga 1 - Udinese 1 - C.L.

Aug 11, 2012 - Southampton 0 - Udinese 4 - FR

Aug 5, 2012 - Udinese 0 - Schalke 04 0 - FR

Juventus

Aug 25, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Parma 0 - Serie A

Aug 11, 2012 - Juventus 4 - SSC Napoli 2 - Italian Supercup

Aug 4, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Malaga 0 - FR

Aug 1, 2012 - Juventus 1 - Benfica 1 - FR

Jul 28, 2012 - Hertha BSC 0 - Juventus 2 - FR

Players to Watch

Maicosuel

It's been a hell of a week for the Brazilian, who marked his Serie A debut with a goal before then missing the crucial spot-kick in Udinese's shoot-out defeat against Braga. Maicosuel only featured as a substitute against the Portuguese but he is expected to be restored to the starting lineup on Sunday evening so it will be fascinating to see how he responds to Guidolin's show of faith.

Alessandro Matri

While Juventus fans everywhere were left distinctly underwhelmed by the signing of Nicklas Bendtner on Friday, Alessandro Matri must have breathed a sigh of relief. The Dane's arrival obviously means more competition for places but it is not quite the level of competition Matri would have been expecting, with Juve having previously been linked with Robin van Persie and Edinson Cavani. Regardless, the onus is now on Matri to prove to Antonio Conte that he is good enough to lead the Juve attack.

Prediction

It's impossible not to feel anything but sympathy for miracle worker Guidolin and his fine Zebrette side in light of their Champions League heartbreak but the reality is that they only have themselves to blame after a substandard performance against Braga. Juventus are also a ruthless outfit who have mastered the art of winning without playing well, as they underlined against Parma last weekend, so expect the champions to edge a predictably tight affair.

Editor's Prediction

Udinese 0 - 1 Juventus

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