Bari stun Juventus in opener

Massimo Donati scored the only goal of the game as Bari stunned Juventus 1-0 in front of 60,000 fans in the San Nicola stadium on Saturday.

The hosts fully deserved their victory as they dominated against a much-changed Juve side throughout with the Turin giants suffering their first season-opening defeat in 28 years.

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 half-time.

And it does not bode well either for Italy, who begin their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign next week, as Juve fielded seven Italy internationals and nine Italians in their starting line-up.

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 equalise right up until the 92nd minute so I was happy with the lads’ attitude.”

As for Juve’s title chances, Delneri was quick to insist that’s not his aim.

“I never said we must chase Inter Milan, we must simply improve and quickly get back on track, it’s only the first game.”

It was an open start at the San Nicola with Bari’s Paulo Barreto blazing over from inside the box and Juve centre-back Leonardo Bonucci heading a corner over at the other end against his former team-mates.

Juve forward Fabio Quagliarella then picked up a deflection but lashed a shot from 20 yards well wide with his weaker left foot.

The hosts had a great chance to take the lead on 22 minutes after they carved open the Juve defence.

Algeria forward Abdelkader Ghezzal played a one-two with 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.

Juve then had a chance themselves as Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo burst through but his deflected shot trickled just wide.

Bari earned a deserved lead two minutes before the break as Claudio Marchisio got the wrong side of Donati who turned him and had time and space to slam a left-footed shot from 20 yards in off the far post.

Bari were on the attack early in the second period as well as Donati curled a right footer from outside the area just wide.

And flying Honduras winger Edgar Alvarez wasted a glorious opportunity when clean through on Storari, failing to shoot first time and allowing defenders to get back and snuff out the danger.

Barreto then latched onto a ball over the top and rounded Storari but his shot from a tight angle was cleared off the line by the back-tracking Giorgio Chiellini.

Bari opened up Juve again 17 minutes from time as Ghezzal exchanged passes with Barreto, only to have his shot bundled away for a corner.

Juve had a half chance in the final minute as Quagliarella hit a volley from wide left beyond the far post and with the last touch of the match Chiellini header over from eight yards, but he was flagged offside anyway.

On Saturday, Roma were held to a 0-0 home draw by newly promoted Cesena while Genoa won 1-0 at Udinese.

Champions Inter Milan play away to Bologna on Monday night while AC Milan host Lecce later on Saturday.