Mixed start for Serie A giants Milan and Juve

It was a mixed bag on the opening weekend of the Serie A season for two of Italy’s giants as Juventus were shocked by Bari while AC Milan crushed Lecce 4-0.

Coming into this season on the back of their worst ever campaign, Juventus have spent big in their bid to get back to the top of Serie A.

Last season’s seventh-placed finish and missing out on the Champions League sent fear through Juve’s bosses, who responded by opening the cheque-book.

Nine new players, amongst them five Italy internationals, were testament to new coach Luigi Delneri’s intent and yet the team that was defeated 1-0 at Bari appeared to have made no progress since last season.

Juve began with seven Italy internationals in their starting line-up but their modest opponents dominated from the off.

Abdelkader Ghezzal had a one-on-one with Juve goalkeeper Marco Stoari as Juve’s static, flat defence failed to cope with the run from deep.

Stoari saved but he could do nothing about Massimo Donati’s spectacular curler two minutes from the break.

Bari came the closer to scoring after the restart with Donati again hitting an effort from distance that this time went just the wrong side of the upright.

It wasn’t just that Juve lost, their first opening day reverse in 28 years, but they were clearly second best, not that Delneri saw it that way.

“We’re just starting the championship, we had some difficulties but we also created some good things,” he said.

“We need to get Amauri and (Vincenzo) Iaquinta back, they’re players who give us more of a physical presence in attack.

“But for sure we need to improve our play and our concentration. Their goal came from a quickly-taken free-kick and an experienced team can’t be surprised in this way.”

It was quite another story for Milan who enjoyed a stroll against their promoted visitors.

Pato opened the scoring on 16 minutes with a finely-taken cross shot and Thiago Silva prodded home a scramble in the box at a corner soon afterwards.

Ronaldinho teed up Pato for the third before the half-hour mark, the Brazilian youngster beating the offside trap, rounding Antonio Rosati and slotting into the empty net.

Veteran Filippo Inzaghi’s last minute fourth was merely the icing on the cake.

However, the pressure is now on for Milan, who completed a great weekend following the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Club president Silvio Berlusconi, the Italy Prime Minister, has told coach Massimiliano Allegri that he must win the title.

“We’ve signed a great player and of course that means we’ve taken a big step forwards,” said Allegri.

“It’s normal that now our aim is to win the scudetto, but it was before as well. It’s a good thing he’s arrived.”

If there was a down side for Milan, though, it was that striker Marco Borriello, whose first team place is certain to be taken by Ibrahimovic, couldn’t hide his personal disappointment.

“I’ll have to evaluate my future, I’m getting squeezed out and I’m in the prime of my career,” he said.

Elsewhere only Sampdoria of the potential teams that could threaten the big four showed any form.

They quickly bounced back from their Champions League elimination in midweek to beat Lazio 2-0.

Star forward Antonio Cassano scored the crucial first from the penalty spot.

Fiorentina and Napoli, however, could not be separated at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.