Massimo Donati scored the only goal of the game as Bari stunned Juventus 1-0 in front of 60,000 fans at the Stadio San Nicola on Sunday.
There were no such problems for AC Milan at the San Siro, watched by new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as they trounced promoted Lecce 4-0.
Bari fully deserved their victory as they dominated throughout against a much-changed Juve side, with the Turin giants suffering their first season-opening defeat in 28 years.
PHOTO: AFP
Coming off their worst ever season, Juve came into this game with a new coach, Luigi Delneri, and having spent big in the off-season on nine new players, but with all those changes the visitors put in a disjointed performance in which they were always second best, with new signings Milos Krasic and Simone Pepe failing to shine and being hauled off at halftime.
Despite Juve losing on the opening day of the season for the first time since 1982, Delneri was not too downhearted.
“We had some difficulties, but we also created chances,” he said. “We tried to do our best and we didn’t give too much away. We were beaten by a wonder strike from Donati. We tried to equalize right up until the 92nd minute, so I was happy with the lads’ attitude.”
The hosts had a great chance to take the lead on 22 minutes after they carved open the Juve defense.
Algeria forward Abdelkader Ghezzal played a one-two with Paulo Barreto and cut in from the left to home in one-on-one with Marco Storari, but the goalkeeper made himself big and smothered the chance at his near post.
Bari earned a deserved lead two minutes before the break when Claudio Marchisio got the wrong side of Donati, who turned him and had time and space to slam a left-footed shot in off the far post.
Brazilian forward Pato was unstoppable for Milan, grabbing a brace.
He opened the scoring on 16 minutes with an angled drive from the right across goalkeeper Antonio Rosati and after Thiago Silva had prodded home following a goalmouth scramble, Pato beat the offside trap to run onto Ronaldinho’s pass, round Rosati and slot home.
Veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi rounded off the scoring in the final minute.
Pato said Milan will only get better with Ibrahimovic.
“With Ibra, who’s a great player, we’re going to be really strong and we can aim high,” Pato said.
Sampdoria bounced back from the disappointment of Champions League elimination during the week to beat SS Lazio 2-0 at home. Antonio Cassano opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before Stefano Guberti lobbed the second into an empty net.
Ten-man Fiorentina held Napoli to a 1-1 home draw as Gaetano D’Agostino equalized Edinson Cavani’s opener for the visitors.
Also on Sunday, Chievo beat Catania 2-1, Palermo were held to a goalless draw by Cagliari and Parma defeated Brescia 2-0.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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