Rome (AFP)

For Andrea Pirlo's debut as a coach, Juventus launched the conquest of their 10th consecutive title of Italian champion perfectly by easily dominating Sampdoria (3-0) on Sunday during the first day of Serie A.

Juve, in front of a thousand spectators on this day of symbolic reopening of the Serie A stadiums after about seven months of closure, had opened the scoring quickly by Dejan Kulusevski (13th) before increasing the score in the last quarter of hour by Leonardo Bonucci (78th) then Cristiano Ronaldo (88th).

Pirlo, propelled coach of Juve for his very first experience on the bench, could not hope for a better placing in orbit.

He who, with his pedigree as an elegant player and endowed with the culture of winning, was chosen to realize the promises of beautiful play not kept last year with Maurizio Sarri.

It was against the dean of the championship coaches, Claudio Ranieri, that the newbie took his first practical exam, just a few days after having officially validated his coaching diploma with a thesis promoting "total and collective football".

And we have to admit that, despite the little training in the legs, Juve found this movement and this enthusiasm that they often lacked last season.

Pirlo began by renewing the aging workforce of Juve a little, which did not retain Pjanic, Matuidi or Higuain.

And the newcomers have already seduced, like the American Weston McKennie, effective in the middle associated with Adrien Rabiot.

The Swedish nugget Dejan Kulusevski also hit hard by opening the scoring, all with delicacy of his left foot, at the end of the first quarter of an hour of play.

- Naples off to a good start -

Juve then took a long time to kill a game they largely dominated against a pale Sampdoria.

And it was not until the last quarter of an hour to see Bonucci give a larger scale to the score.

Before the inevitable and ambitious Ronaldo goes his way.

The Portuguese thus made us forget the many wasted opportunities before that, where, due to clumsiness and bad luck, his strikes had so far found the gloves of the goalkeeper of Sampdoria, the bar and then the advertising boards.

What to rejoice the new coach, very classy in a suit and tie on the edge of the lawn, and the first spectators of this new Juventus.

Naples, after a mixed season, also started off on the right foot in Parma (2-0).

Entered 0-0, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, star rookie of the Neapolitan summer for nearly 80 million euros, brought an immediate impact that disoriented the Parmesan defense and opened the gaps for Dries Mertens (63rd) and Lorenzo Insigne (77th).

But the co-leader (provisional after six games played) alongside Juve is a surprise guest, Genoa, the first non-relegation last season (17th) who crunched the promoted Crotone (4-1).

Matchday 1 continues on Monday evening with AC Milan's league debut at San Siro against Bologna.

The Milanese, determined to return to the Champions League with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the figurehead, launched their season last week with a first victory in the preliminary round of the Europa League.

Inter Milan, Juventus' main rivals on paper, like Atalanta Bergamo, have only got to start next season for Matchday 2 because of their European matches this summer.

Their matches of the first day, against the promoted Benevento and Lazio, were postponed to September 30.

© 2020 AFP