Juve lose home debut for first time

(ANSA) - Rome, August 24 - Four-time and reigning champions Juventus, who lost three key players during the closed season, area already looking to regroup after losing a home debut for the first time in their history Sunday, going down 1-0 to Udinese.
    Juve are bidding to become only the third team to win five straight titles, a feat previously achieved by Juve themselves in the 1930s and by Torino around WWII.
    But their ranks have been depleted by the loss of playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who has moved to New York FC, striker Carlos Tevez, now back at Boca Juniors, and attacking midfielder Arturo Vidal, who moved to Bayern Munich. Pirlo's job was assumed Sunday by France phenom Paul Pogba, who also took over his corner-kick and free-kick duties, but to some criticism in Monday's press.
    Several dailies said coach Massimiliano Allegri may now bid to plump up his attacking midfield resources by bidding for Juan Cuaradro, who has failed to settle in at Chelsea.
    Allegri tried to take the setback philosophically.
    "Serie A is a marathon, not the 100 metres," he said.
    "Life is cyclical, and we have to do the most difficult and important thing after four years of great success," he went on.
    "Sitting here talking about Pirlo, Vidal or Tevez doesn't get us anywhere. "Several players have arrived in their place who will enable us to play in a different way. Like it or not, we'll have to be patient.
    "I know myself that Pirlo took corners and freekicks well, but a choice was made, full stop".
    Juve put a flurry of crosses over during the game, won by a late goal by French striker Cyril Thereau, but Tevez's heavyweight replacement Mario Mandzukic failed to get on the end of most of them.
    Juve's Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci said after the game "it's a year of transition" while international partner Giorgio Chiellini said: "We shouldn't get alarmed, we have to understand our strengths and weaknesses. "We'll react in Rome," where Juve take on AS Roma, its closest rival last term, at the Olimpico next weekend. Roma could only manage a 1-1 draw at Verona Saturday and some fans are already grumbling about coach Rudi Garcia's tactics.
    In the other weekend matches, Lazio, third last term, beat Bologna 2-1 at the Olimpico while Fiorentina, fourth last season, won 2-0 at home to AC Milan, who came 10th last year.
    Milan announced Monday that Mario Balotelli was returning from Liverpool and would have a medical Tuesday.
    Last year's fifth-placed team, Napoli, went down 2-1 at Sassuolo while Inter, 8th last term, beat Atalanta 1-0.
    The two rookies, Frosinone and Carpi, lost 1-2 and 5-2 to Torino and Sampdoria respectively. The other results were: Empoli-Chievo, 1-3; and Palermo-Genoa, 1-0.
    Here is the Serie A table (tabulate under: played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against): Po Pl W D L gf ga Sampdoria 3 1 1 0 0 5 2 Chievo 3 1 1 0 0 3 1 Fiorentina 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 Lazio 3 1 1 0 0 2 1 Sassuolo 3 1 1 0 0 2 1 Torino 3 1 1 0 0 2 1 Inter 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Palermo 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Udinese 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Roma 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 Verona 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 Atalanta 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 Carpi 0 1 0 0 1 2 5 Empoli 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 Frosinone 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 Genoa 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 Juventus 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 Milan 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 Napoli 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 Bologna 0 1 0 0 1 1 2