Socrates

Roma & Inter aren't effective units yet, Juventus look the real deal There were 35 goals and a whole host of talking points from the first weekend of action in the Italian league this season, with only two of the big five clubs earning three points. Sep 12, 2011 It was a long time in coming, with the extra two-week wait causing no end of frustrations to fans of the 20 clubs across Italy, but Serie A returned with a bang over the weekend. A fantastic 35 goals were scored, with some topsy-turvy encounters being seen in Milan, Palermo and Genoa, and Roma and Inter suffering defeats to start their new eras. Juventus led the way, closely followed by Napoli, Fiorentina and Udinese, as the top flight welcomed the countless new arrivals with some magnificent action. But what can be taken from the opening 10 games? We've picked out the five main points to consider after Week 2. REGARDLESS OF SHAPE, INTER NEED TO DEFEND BETTER No subject has brought about the use of quite so many numbers this summer as the discussion over Inter's expected formation changes in 2011-12. Gian Piero Gasperini's shift to a 3-4-3 via 3-5-1-1 and 3-4-1-2 as opposed to the 4-3-1-2 and 4-2-1-3 systems largely employed by the club over the last couple of seasons have had many people's heads spinning. But when it came down to it on Sunday night, it was plain bad defending that resulted in their 4-3 defeat to a Palermo side that have been experiencing something of a crisis over the past two months. While players can feel uncomfortable in certain formations or defensive systems, there can be no excusing some of the dreadful individual decisions made by experienced players at the Renzo Barbera. Lucio's lack of concentration led to Fabrizio Miccoli's first goal, while Julio Cesar left a good 70 per cent of his goal for the same player to aim at four minutes from the end, despite the No.10's famed talent from free-kick situations. And moments later, Mauricio Pinilla was given all the time in the world to line up his blockbuster winner, with the Brazilian keeper stood watching. So while the formation question may need to be revisited at some point, the more important task for Gasperini right now is give his players a kick up the backside. You can have three, four, five or 11 men at the back, but displays like the one in Sicily will only ever result in the concession of goals. A ROMA REVOLUTION WILL TAKE SOME TIME A new owner, new board, new coach and six new players. The result? Same old Roma. When they had the chance to mark the multiple additions to the club with a convincing performance and result in order to lift their fans, they went missing. And it became quickly apparent that Luis Enrique has a big job on his hands. Trying to get your side playing like Barcelona is admirable, but it can also be naive depending on your personnel. Instead of the Catalans' silky teamwork from back to front, the Giallorossi often looked like 11 individuals as they went down 2-1 to Cagliari, with the sharp passing often doing little except show up the less technical players at Luis Enrique's disposal. There were also some questionable tactical switches made, with the dreadful Bojan Krkic's exit leaving Roma with a transition-free forward line of Marco Borriello, Pablo Osvaldo and Francesco Totti. The one bright spot had to be the performance of Miralem Pjanic on his debut, who suggested with his display in the first half that he can make a difference in the Lupi midfield. Every game provides insights into areas to work on, but Luis Enrique will have a whole host of issues to address before his side travel to Inter next week. With a further defeat at San Siro, there could already be grave doubts about the Spaniard's ability to lead Roma in their attempted revolution. JUVENTUS' PRESSING GAME IS KEY TO THEIR IMPROVEMENT As new eras go, Juventus' has started pretty damned well. A convincing 4-1 victory over Parma to celebrate the first competitive game at Juventus Stadium gave a thrilling first chapter to the brand new story. The opposition provided a reminder of the bad old Juve; it was the Gialloblu's 4-1 win in Turin in January which started the slide to seventh place for a second successive season, while their 2-0 success over the Bianconeri in May put the nail in their European coffin. But this time around, Antonio Conte's men decided that the date with Parma was to represent something entirely different. With Conte bringing in not only the 4-2-4 formation, but also the highly effective pressing game which served him well at Siena, the Old Lady didn't give Franco Colomba's side a moment's let-up. Andrea Pirlo's passing from the base also offered Juve a new angle of attack whenever their width was negated, and it was his delightful pass for Stephan Lichtsteiner which started the rout. Unlike Roma, Juventus looked like a well-drilled, highly-motivated outfit, and with a capacity crowd behind them, it was the perfect way to christen their new surroundings. If they can make a fortress of this north-west pocket of Turin and take some of the momentum on the road with them, the Bianconeri could be ready to rock once more. NAPOLI WILL CONTINUE TO PALM OFF PROVINCIAL SIDES One area where Juventus failed but Napoli succeded last term was in the ability to take the 'cheap points' offered up by clashes with the league's provincial outfits. And in their 3-1 win at Cesena on Saturday night, the Azzurri proved they still have that attribute in their locker. Their struggles against the sides around them at the top of the league may have stopped them winning the Serie A title, but they returned to the European Cup for the first time in 21 years thanks to their bullying of smaller opponents. And it was that approach which saw them collect their opening win in 2011-12, with Ezequiel Lavezzi again instrumental. Marek Hamsik's blockbuster rounded things off for a side now preparing for their trip to Manchester City this week, but while few hold out much hope of progression from Group A in the Champions League, or of a title challenge in Serie A, Walter Mazzarri's men have to be taken seriously as a top-three prospect once more this year. And it will be routine wins over the Cesenas of the world that will take them close again. MAXI MORALEZ COULD BE THE SIGNING OF THE SUMMER Perhaps the smallest signing this summer in terms of physical stature, Maxi Moralez made the biggest impact of the new imports on opening day, grabbing two goals for Atalanta in their 2-2 draw at Genoa. 'El Elano' burst on to the scene with a first-half brace which put the Nerazzurri ahead after having suffered the early blow of Miguel Veloso's opener, and continued to cause the home side trouble. Starting the season off six points back, Stefano Colantuono's men are going to need inspiration from somewhere in order to avoid the drop, but the Argentine has all the attributes to suggest he could make the difference. With ingenuity and creative spark on the ball, he also has an eye for spectacular goals and has a huge catalogue of skills in his locker. At just 5'3", he could find some of his physical limitations counting against him in some situations, but the early signs suggest that he could have more than a little say in Atalanta's attempt to defy the doubters and remain in Serie A.

It was very important for Juventus to start with a win - Andrea Pirlo The experienced midfielder has stressed that it was crucial for the Turin giants to get off to a winning start in the 2011-12 campaign. Sep 12, 2011 Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has expressed his delight with his side's good start to the season, after they recorded a 4-1 home win over Parma on Saturday. The former AC Milan man impressed on his official debut for the Turin side as he provided two assists. And the veteran playmaker has underlined the importance of making a good start at a new club. "Of course it was important to start well and play a game like that in front of our fans," Pirlo was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "It

Leonardo Bonucci sees bright future for Juventus The centre-back believes the club are on the right track but must continue their hard work to succeed. Sep 12, 2011 Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci is pleased with the way the club have begun the new Serie A campaign. The Turin outfit ran rampant and wild in the 4-1 victory against Parma and Bonucci believes the club have a bright future ahead of them. "Sunday's victory, the first in our new stadium, represents the beginning of the campaign that we were hoping for," the 24-year-old told Tuttosport. "The three points were obtained with a performance of the highest level which makes me optimistic for the future. "It's true that we are only at the beginning and the road is very long, but we know that we start on the right foot with tranquillity, serenity, inspiration, and much energy. "These elements will cause results only with hard work and lots of training during the week," concluded the defender.

Diamonds and Pirlo

Serie A: Team of the Week Sep 12, 2011 Albano Benjamin Bizzarri [Lazio] A fabulous debut for the Argentine as he superbly denied Milan a comeback win. Foiling Aquilani, he also blocked Cassano several times before bravely saving at the feet of Ibra then pushing a Boateng stinger round the post. Commanding. Stephan Lichtsteiner [Juventus] Never stopped running and menaced every time he ran at the visitors

Buffon hails Pirlo swoop Sep 12, 2011 Gigi Buffon has revealed that he thanked Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani for allowing Andrea Pirlo to join Juventus. The midfielder left the Rossoneri in favour of a switch to Juve after his San Siro contract came to an end. The Bianconeri are already benefiting from his arrival after he set up two goals in the club

Agnelli: We

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Lichtsteiner owes it to Pirlo Sep 12, 2011 Stephan Lichtsteiner has thanked Andrea Pirlo for helping write his name in the history of Juventus. The Swiss international became the first player to score a competitive goal at the club

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Marchisio archives Parma triumph Sep 12, 2011 Claudio Marchisio has urged his Juventus side to build on their impressive start to the season following the win over Parma. The Old Lady began the campaign at their new arena in scintillating fashion as Marchisio netted a beauty in the 4-1 success.

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Debutants dazzle as Juve raise curtain in style Sep 11, 2011 Juventus christened their new stadium in style with a thumping win over Parma that takes them to the top of the Serie A table. Antonio Conte could hardly have wished for a better start to life as coach of the Bianconeri as goals from Stephan Lichtsteiner, Simone Pepe, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio eased them through their opening league game. A red card for Paolo De Ceglie and Sebastian Giovinco's consolation for Parma prevented it from being a perfect start, but there were few complaints from the 40,000 fans inside the new Juventus Stadium. A new-look Juventus had Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings in the midfield and he provided two sumptuous assists to mark his debut in style. The first came in the 17th minute when he lifted the ball over the Parma defence into the path of debutant Lichtsteiner, who touched the ball past the goalkeeper with his right foot and slotted it in with his left. An almost identical pass in the 83rd minute from the Italy international gave Marchisio the chance to crown a superlative performance with a delicate lob on the volley over Marco Storari. But it was not only the new faces who shone for the home side. Alessandro Del Piero rolled back the years with an assist for their second goal in the 58th minute as he bisected the Parma defence with a pass for Pepe, who drilled his shot across Mirante into the far corner. Only minutes earlier, another Del Piero pass sent Alessandro Matri free, but his shot hit the inside of the right-hand upright and rolled agonisingly along the goal line without crossing it. It was not Matri's day, having seen a valid headed goal ruled out for offside in the 39th minute. But it was definitely Juve's day, and a good one for their debutants as Vidal scored with his first touch in the 73rd minute, volleying past Storari from 20 yards after Mirko Vucinic's shot rebounded back to the Chilean off a Parma defender. The only disappointment for the home side was a red card for De Ceglie in the last minute as he fouled Giovinco inside the penalty area. The former Juve forward stepped up to score a consolation for Parma.

Pirlo: 'I wanted Juve challenge' Sep 11, 2011 Andrea Pirlo shone on his Juventus debut and explains why he

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Conte: 'Juve must build slowly' Sep 11, 2011 Antonio Conte thanked the fans after Juventus started the season with a thumping 4-1 victory.

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Pirlo inspires four-star Juve Sep 11, 2011 Juventus crushed Parma 4-1 with an inspirational Andrea Pirlo and stunners from Arturo Vidal, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Claudio Marchisio. It was the beginning of a new era in Turin, as Antonio Conte made his official debut on the bench in their brand new state of the art stadium. Inaugurated on Thursday, the Juventus Stadium is the only one in Serie A owned by a club and was packed to the rafters for this game. There were still visible marks on the field from the opening ceremony. However, Parma hoped to cause problems, as they had won their last three meetings with Juve home and away. Vincenzo Iaquinta, Fabio Quagliarella, Marcelo Estigarribia and Fabio Grosso were in the stands, with Mirko Vucinic and Milos Krasic not 100 per cent fit in Conte's revolutionary 4-2-4 system, while the Ducali missed Raffaele Palladino, Massimo Gobbi and Jaime Valdes. Alessandro Lucarelli almost gave away a penalty in the opening minutes with a clumsy challenge on Alessandro Matri. Juventus broke the deadlock with their first real opportunity. Andrea Pirlo inspired with a chipped pass over the defence, as Stephan Lichtsteiner sprung the offside trap and flicked the ball with his right foot to go round the goalkeeper and deposit into an empty net with his left. Moments later, Antonio Mirante used his legs to beat away an angled drive from Matri. Del Piero's pull-back to Simone Pepe was intercepted at the last second. Matri thought he had scored a second on 38 minutes, but his header was ruled out, as he was offside when the cross came in before it was nodded down. There are also question marks, as the header towards him might've come off a Parma player. Gigi Buffon risked giving away a goal after the break when he dropped a simple Sebastian Giovinco cross, but was able to scramble it away under pressure. Matri was very unlucky again on 55 minutes, as he went on the counter and thumped the upright of an open goal, the ball rolling along the line and back out. It was Matri's final contribution, as he made way for Mirko Vucinic. Just seconds later, Juventus did get their second with Simone Pepe, who ran on to a Del Piero through ball to smash an angled drive into the far bottom corner. Arturo Vidal came off the bench for the captain. Vucinic pounced on a Gabriel Paletta defensive error, but Antonio Mirante rushed off his line to close him down. Vidal took just over five minutes to mark his Serie A debut with a wonderful goal. The poor clearance fell to the edge of the box, where the Chilean let it bounce before unleashing a fierce shot on the volley that flew into the top corner. It was total domination from Juve and the icing on the cake was a magnificent goal from Claudio Marchisio. Another delightful Pirlo pass to spring the offside trap released the midfielder, who kept his cool to chip Mirante. In stoppages Giovinco burst into the box and was tripped from behind by former teammate Paolo De Ceglie. The clumsy challenge was an inevitable red card and penalty, which the Atomic Ant got back up to coolly convert. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Marchisio, Pirlo; Pepe (Krasic 71), Del Piero (Vidal 67), Matri (Vucinic 57), Giaccherini Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paletta, A Lucarelli, Rubin; Valiani, Morrone, Galloppa (Ze Eduardo 74), Modesto (Biabiany 62); Giovinco; Pell

Marotta: 'Juve will make Jan buys' Sep 11, 2011 Director general Beppe Marotta has confirmed Juventus

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) 'Congratulations to the players and the fans' - Antonio Conte The 42-year-old tactician heaped praise on his side and the club's supporters following their 4-1 opening day victory over Parma at the newly-opened Juventus Stadium. Sep 11, 2011 Juventus coach Antonio Conte was keen to pay particular praise to his players and the supporters after the club demolished Parma 4-1 in their opening Serie A game at the Juventus Stadium. Goals from Stephan Lichtsteiner, Simone Pepe, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio were enough to give the Turin giants a resounding win, despite Paolo De Ceglie's late sending off and Sebastian Giovinco's consolation penalty. The side were good value for their win and Conte made sure he acknowledged the backing provided by the club's supporters. "I need to thank all our fans, they kept us going for the whole game and gave the lads a real push. It's been the start we were hoping for," Conte told reporters after the game. However, the coach did pick out a few faults with the performance before going on to congratulate his team. "We shouldn't have conceded and had a man sent off. We must prevent lapses in concentration," he added. "But as far as the rest is concerned, I can only congratulate all the players. They read the game in the right way, be it when attacking or defending. We know that there

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Player Ratings Goal.com rates the performances of the players on show in the Old Lady's opening day victory over bogey team Parma. Sep 11, 2011 Juventus Gianluigi Buffon 6.0 - The goalkeeper could have pulled up a chair and enjoyed the game, as Parma never really threatened him. Had to parry one shot from Giovinco, and was left with no chance at the penalty. Paolo De Ceglie 5.0 - Was solid in defence, but failed to be much of a threat in attack. A black dot on his performance was the needless penalty and red card just before the full-time whistle, which his team could have done without. Giorgio Chiellini 6.5 - The Juventus defence was stable, and he played his part by organising the rearguard without much trouble. Also demonstrated sound positioning and tackling. Andrea Barzagli 6.5 The ex-Wolfsburg man delivered a good performance as he was assured at the back, impressing with his marking. Intervened when needed. Stephan Lichtsteiner 7.0 - The ex-Lazio man delivered an almost impeccable performance. Was strong in the tackle, well positioned, and a genuine threat down the flank. Scored a goal in a manner that would befit a striker. Emanuele Giaccherini 6.0 - The winger worked hard down the left, but failed to offer anything special. Put in a few good passes, but his final ball left a lot to be desired. Andrea Pirlo 8.0 - The new signing more than proved his worth with two sublime assists which deservedly earn him the man of the match. Inspirational passing, superb control and impeccable technique were the order of the day as he delivered a performance worthy of his best years. The chipped passes to Lichtsteiner for the opener, and for Marchisio for the fourth were a joy to behold. Claudio Marchisio 7.0 - The midfielder did a lot of defensive work in the first half, but failed to offer much of a threat to Mirante's goal before the break. Things changed afterwards, as he netted with sublime touch to put the cherry on the cake. Simone Pepe 7.5 - The ex-Udinese man is slowly winning over the Bianconeri fans. Delivered another good performance, providing defensive cover down the flank, and while his crossing was not top-notch, his finish for the the second goal of the game was. Alessandro Del Piero 7.0 - The Juventus legend put in an energetic performance as he led the Bianconeri's attack by example. Showed some great touches and will be disappointed not to have bagged a goal. Alessandro Matri 6.5 - Had a goal disallowed in the first half, and hit the post in the second period. Did well today, but just lacked luck. Substitutions Arturo Vidal Pardo 7.0 - The ex-Bayer Leverkusen man made instant impact as Juventus sprung into life after the Chilean entered the pitch. Scored one of the goals of the round with a marvellous volley, and made sure Parma barely crossed the half-way line. Milos Krasic 6.0 - The Serbian looked much more incisive than Pepe on the right wing, but his desire could not match his final ball. Still, a good cameo. Mirko Vučinić 5.5 - Got one good chance after a pass by Pepe, but saw his finish blocked. Aside from that, his contribution was minimal. Parma Antonio Mirante 5.0 - The ex-Juventus goalkeeper looked like a one-man army at times as he tried to repel the Old Lady's attacks. Pulled off some good saves, but could not do anything for any of the hosts' goals. Matteo Rubin 5.0 - Managed to contain Pepe on the flank in the first period, but looked completely clueless after the break. Failed at the back, and did not offer much in attack. Alessandro Lucarelli 5.0 - The defender was relatively solid before the break as helped Parma keep the scoreline at 1-0 in the first half. Completely lost the plot on the second period as his hesitancy to close down opponents was one of the main reasons for the Ducali's collapse. Gabriel Paletta 5.0 - The Argentinian was caught flat-footed occasionally as Juventus' forwards drifted behind him with relative ease. Did not read the game well, and his positioning was disappointing. Cristian Zaccardo 6.0 - The ex-Wolfsburg defender was probably the most stable unit of Parma's rearguard. Did well to nullify Giaccherini's threat, but failed to offer much up front. Francesco Modesto 5.0 - Failed to offer any threat down the flank as he was kept on a tight leash by Pepe and Lichtsteiner. A game to forget. Daniele Galloppa 5.0 - The ex-Siena midfielder completely failed in midfield as he did not offer any protection to his defence, and had minimal contribution in attack. Stefano Morrone 5.5 - Could not keep up with Juventus' vibrant midfield pairing and failed to exert his authority in the centre of the pitch. Lacked pace today, and was chasing shadow most of the time. Disappointing passing from the midfielder also. Francesco Valiani 5.5 - Started brightly, but soon started to fade away as the game progressed. Tried to break away down the flank, but was often crowded out by the Old Lady's defenders. Sebastian Giovinco 6.5 - Struggled against the Old Lady, as they managed to contain him with relative ease. Was starved of service, but popped in with a great run to win a penalty just before full-time. Converted the spot-kick, sending Buffon the wrong way. Graziano Pell

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) 4 - 1 Juventus Arena - Torino Referee: D. Celi‎ Attendance: 55000‎ 17′ Stephan Lichtsteiner 58′ Simone Pepe 74′ Arturo Vidal Pardo 83′ Claudio Marchisio 92′ Sebastian Giovinco (P) Pirlo shines as Old Lady grace new stadium with impressive win A late red card for Paolo De Ceglie couldn't detract from an impressive display by Juve as Pirlo made himself at home in his new surroundings. Sep 11, 2011 Juventus christened their new stadium and made a firm statement of intent with a comprehensive 4-1 Serie A victory over Parma. Andrea Pirlo produced a superb display in midfield for the Turin giants, and goals from Stephan Lichtsteiner, Simone Pepe, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio fired the hosts to a confident opening-day win. It was Antonio Conte

Juventus could buy more players in January - Giuseppe Marotta The transfer chief has made clear there will more cash invested if the team needs new additions in future, but grandiose spending on one individual is not the plan. Sep 11, 2011 Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta admits the club may find itself spending more equity during the winter transfer window after seeing a flurry of players arrive in the summer. Players such as Eljero Elia, Mirko Vucinic, Arturo Vidal, Marcelo Estigarribia and Emanuele Giaccherini were just a handful of stars to arrive during an active market. But, Marotta has hinted there could be more as he wants his squad to be competitive with the rest. "We had a satisfying transfer campaign, but we must always improve, and so we will operate in January if we need to," Marotta told Sky Sport Italia. "We did well, but in Italy you cannot spend

Serie A Week 2 - 11/9/11 (12.30) - Juventus Arena - Torino Line-ups: Del Piero leads new Juve Sep 11, 2011 Alessandro Del Piero and Alessandro Matri lead Juventus out into their new stadium to face Parma in the lunchtime kick-off. The first official match at the Juventus Stadium begins at 11.30 UK time and Antonio Conte has a point to prove in front of a sold out crowd. The Coach picks his former teammate and current captain Del Piero in the revolutionary 4-2-4 system, joined by Simone Pepe, Matri and Emanuele Giaccherini. Mirko Vucinic, Arturo Vidal and Milos Krasic are on the bench, as they are not 100 per cent fit, while Fabio Quagliarella, Marcelo Estigarribia, Fabio Grosso and Vincenzo Iaquinta are not even in the squad. Parma have won their last three Serie A meetings with Juventus, home and away, so Franco Colomba will be looking for another upset. Ex-Juve starlet Sebastian Giovinco starts just behind former AZ Alkmaar striker Graziano Pell

Ecco perch

Entra Vucinic

Palo sfortunato di Matri

Pepe incomprensibile

Celi non vuol far perdere il Parma

Pepe ferma ottimamente core 'ngrato Giovinco