A superb free kick by Miralem
Pjanic and an imperious header from Edin Dzeko gave AS Roma a
2-1 win over Juventus in the first big match of the season
Sunday to leave the four-time straight Serie A champs pointless
after two matches for the first time ever.
A late goal by Paulo Dybala was scant consolation for the
Turin giants who were comprehensively outplayed by the only team
that gave them a run for their money, for half the season at
last, last time around.
"We didn't win one tackle," said Juve coach Massimiliano
Allegri who after setting an all-time points record of 102 last
season, wryly added: "I knew it, I always manage to go down in
history".
"Never has a season begun with so much uncertainty, of how
we play and the players at my disposal," Allegri went on.
"We're Italian champions and vice champions of Europe
(after a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona) but we've been well and truly
whipped".
Allegri was said to be banking on the return of Claudio
Marchisio and Sami Khedira to revitalise a midfield that looked
terribly sluggish and short on ideas against the Giallorossi,
with France star Paul Pogba having another ill-tempered
nightmare.
Asked about the young midfielders's hapless contribution,
Allegri was very harsh, saying: "A four-year-old kid doesn't
know how to write yet".
Juve appear to have suffered tremendously from the loss of
legendary playmaker Andrea Pirlo, to New York City FC, and
all-action Chilean attacking midfielder Arturo Vidal, to Bayern
Munich.
In an attempt to plug one gap, after a vain bid to get
Schalke 04 and Germany leftwinger Julian Draxler, the Bianconeri
agreed terms Monday with Inter Milan for Brazil attacking
midfielder Hernanes.
But another worry will be misfiring Croatia centre forward
Mario Mandzukic.
The big front man hardly touched the ball against Roma,
negating Juve's newfound strategy of pumping long balls up to
him.
Up till now, he has been a disappointing replacement for
Carlos 'the Apache' Tevez of Argentina, who returned to his
first club Boca Juniors.
But goalkeeper and skipper Gianluigi Buffon, the Italy
captain, was optimistic, saying "we got strong players on the
transfer market".
"Zero points shouldn't be a part of our history," added the
big keeper.
"The only way out now," he said, "is if everyone takes
responsibility".
Meanwhile the Romans were cock-a-hoop, with captain
Daniele De Rossi saying: "We played an incredible game" and
adding "it was a pity about those 10 minutes at the end when we
fell asleep".
Coach Rudi Garcia said: "We showed the right attitude, this
is the way to produce the right sort of game".
Here are the weekend's full results:
in Bergamo: Atalanta-Frosinone 2-0
in Bologna: Bologna-Sassuolo 0-1 (Saturday)
in Modena: Carpi-Inter 1-2
in Verona: Chievo-Lazio 4-0
in Genoa: Genoa-Verona 2-0
in Milan: Milan-Empoli 2-1 (Saturday)
in Naples: Napoli-Sampdoria 2-2
in Rome: Roma-Juventus 2-1
in Turin: Torino-Fiorentina 3-1
in Udine: Udinese-Palermo 0-1.
Roma are joint second with Sampdoria on four points below
five teams on the full six: Chievo, Torino, Inter, Sassuolo and
Palermo.
Here is the Serie A table (tabulate under points, played,
won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against:
P P W D L GF GA
Chievo 6 2 2 0 0 7 1
Torino 6 2 2 0 0 5 2
Sassuolo 6 2 2 0 0 3 1
Inter 6 2 2 0 0 3 1
Palermo 6 2 2 0 0 2 0
Sampdoria 4 2 1 1 0 7 4
Roma 4 2 1 1 0 3 2
Fiorentina 3 2 1 0 1 3 3
Atalanta 3 2 1 0 1 2 1
Genoa 3 2 1 0 1 2 1
Udinese 3 2 1 0 1 1 1
Milan 3 2 1 0 1 2 3
Lazio 3 2 1 0 1 2 5
Napoli 1 2 0 1 1 3 4
Verona 1 2 0 1 1 1 3
Bologna 0 2 0 0 2 1 3
Juventus 0 2 0 0 2 1 3
Empoli 0 2 0 0 2 2 5
Frosinone 0 2 0 0 2 1 4
Carpi 0 2 0 0 2 3 7
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