Summary: Both teams are coming off of important results to start their season. The new look of Lazio lead by their young Argentine hitman, Mauro Zarate, destroyed Cagliari while Sampdoria managed to draw against Serie A champs Inter. The hosts will welcome back their head coach Delio Rossi who has been serving a touchline ban that dates back to last season. Their opening win was certainly impressive, but they cannot sleep on their next opponent. Samp tactician Walter Mazzarri is as talented as any in Serie A and you can be assured his team will have some tricks up their sleeves.

Injuries will definitely be a concern for both teams. Lazio are still dealing with the injured Tomasso Roccchi, as well as Ousmane Dabo. We will likely see Stefano Mauri in the trequarista role in support of Goran Pandev and Zarate. Walter Mazzarri will use his usual 3-back defense, although the absence of Argentine Hugo Campagnaro will significantly weaken the defense.

Lazio (Probable): (4-3-1-2) Carrizo; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Rozehnal, Kolarov; Brocchi, Ledesa, Meghni; Mauri, Zarate, Pandev
Sampdoria (Probable): (3-5-2) Mirante; Lucchini, Gastadello, Bottinellil; Stankevicius, Sammarc, Palombo, Francescini, Pieri; Delvecchio, Cassano

Player to Watch: Mauro Zarate (Lazio) - Keep your eye on this kid. Its hard to believe after his 2 goal Serie A debut that he is only 21 years old.

Prediction: Home win. We expect Lazio to hold on in a high scoring affair. Sampdoria tends to conceed a lot of goals, but with Antonio Cassano they can score just as many.

Summary: Two newly promoted teams meet in the south of Italy when Lecce hosts Chievo. Lecce are favorites for relegation, while Chievo are predicted to have the most success out of the three new teams. The Flying Donkeys lived up to expectations in Week 1, with an impressive 2-1 road victory over Reggina. Lecce was not as lucky after getting shutout against Torino. Chievo has no injury concerns, the only absence will be Antonio Langella who is serving a 1 game suspension for picking up a red card in the last match. A win for either side will be a huge confidence boost early on in the season, while a loss will already start the whispers about relegation.

Lecce (Probable): (4-3-1-2) Benussi; Polenghi, Stendardo, Diamoutene, Antunes Giacomazzi, Zanchetta, Ariatti; Caserta; Cacia, Tribocchi
Chievo (Probable): (4-3-3) Squizzi; Malago, Mandelli, Cesar, MAntovani; Pinzi, Italiano, Marcolini; Esposito, Pellissier, Iunco

Player to Watch: Mauro Esposito (Chievo) - Already successful in Serie A and on the national level, Esposito wasn’t a first choice for Roma so he has been loaned out to Chievo. He will be eager to prove himself and show he can be in Roma’s first team when he returns.

Prediction: Home win. With Pellissier and Esposito, Chievo has plenty of good attacking options. Lecce, on the other hand, were shutout in Week 1 and lack the same firepower.

Summary: Fiorentina forward Adrian Mutu is set to return against the battle with Napoli after the Romanian missed their opening draw against against Juventus. This will give us a chance to get a first look at both Mutu and Gilardino in Serie A action.

Napoli have had a rough start to the season after their supporters were involved in some off the field violence while traveling to the match against Roma. This has resulted in restrictions on fans traveling to future matches, as well as some stands closed at home. Fiorentina fans will also be forebode from traveling to the Stadio San Paolo. Could this possibly have an affect on either side?

Napoli (Probable): (3-5-2) Iezzo; Cannavaro, Contini, Aronica; Maggio, Blasi, Gargano, Hamsik, Vitale; Denis, Lavezzi
Fiorentina (Probable): (4-3-3) Frey; Zauri, Kroldrup, Dainelli, Gobbi; Kuzmanovic, Almiron, Montolivo; Semioli, Gilardino, Mutu

Player to Watch: Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina) - How will he fair in his season debut?

Prediction: Away win. This game could be won by either side, but we like the talent and depth of Fiorentina to come through.

Summary: Nicola Amoruso and Rolando Bianchi return to Reggio Calabria to face their former club Reggina. Both are beloved figures in the city and it will no doubt be an emotional day. Amoruso is the more recently departed, and his leadership helped Reggina stay in Serie A over the past three years. Both players have promised they won’t celebrate if they were to score.

Reggina will welcome back their star Franco Brienza, who has recovered from a muscular injury. He may come on from the bench, and in that case we will see Milan youth product Di Gennaro start in the trequarista role. Chilean U-21 international Carlos Carmona will be making his Serie A debut for the Amaranto as they look to get their first points of the season.

Reggina (Probable): (4-4-1-1-) Campagnolo; Lanzaro, Valdez, Cirillo, Costa; Vigiani, Tognozzi, Carmona, Halfredsson; Brienza; Corradi
Torino (Probable): (4-3-2-1) Sereni; Diana, Di Loreto, PRatali, Rubin; Zanetti, Corini, Saume; Rosina, Amoruso; Bianchi

Player to Watch: Rolando Bianchi (Torino) - An emotional return to his former club could inspire the striker to give an unforgettable performance.

Prediction: Draw. Torino are an excellent team and we will see some goals, but expect a rejuvenated Reggina to keep it level with the return of Franco Brienza.

Summary: This match is an early season relegation dogfight. Siena and Cagliari both desperately want to climb the table after Week 1 losses. The two sides are likely going to both be battling for survival later on down the line, so these direct clashes hold a lot of importantance. Cagliari have the most to prove after getting blown away by Lazio. The Islolani will be using Matri and Acquafresca up front, with their goalscorer Joaquin Larrivey being left on the bench. Siena have received a blow when the news that Massimo Maccarone was given a 3 match ban for pushing a referee. Maccarone is one of their main attacking threats and the Tuscan outfit are in for hard times without him.

Siena (Probable): (4-3-1-2) Curci; Rossettini, Ficagna, Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppal Kharja Calaio, Frick
Cagliari (Probable): (4-3-1-2) Marchetti; Ferri, Bianco, Canini, Agostini; Fini, Pani, Parola; Cossu; Acquafresca, Matri

Player to Watch: Robert Acquafresca (Cagliari) - Not much star power in this game outside of him. We have said it before: he is the key to Cagliari’s success. He has to perform at his best if the Rossoblu want to stay up.

Prediction: Draw. Perhaps a goalless one. Neither side will want to slip up and nerves will take over the match.

Summary: What a start to the year for Bologna. The Rossoblu suprised everyone in their first match with their road victory over Milan. Atalanta also had a good display against Siena and captured 3 points. It is now Bologna’s turn to play hosts at the Stadio Dall’Ara. Marco Di Vaio scored the opening goal of the season for Bologna and will be leading the front line again. Atalanta remains without summer signing Christian Vieri.

Bologna (Probable): (4-4-2) Antonioli; Zenoni, Terzi, Castellini, Bombardini; Marchini, Mingazzini, Volpi, Valiani; Marazzina, Di Vaio
Atalanta (Probable): (4-4-1-1) Coppola; Garics, Talamonti, Manfredini, Bellini; Ferreira Pinto, Cigarini, Guarente, Padoin; Doni; Floccari

Player to Watch: Cristiano Doni (Atalanta) - He failed to score in the opening match, but with 12 goals last year he could strike at any time.

Prediction: Draw. Similiar teams and too hard to pick a winner here.

Summary: Milan were the victims of a suprise defeat to Bologna in the opening round and it has already started rumors of head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s exit. The tactician will have plenty of talented attacking options on hand, but is likely to start Andriy Shevchenko with Rolandinho and Kaka. This leaves Kaka and former Genoa hero Marco Borriello on the bench to start the match. Pippo Inzaghi will be out with an injury,

Genoa will welcome back Argentine striker Diego Milito who last played with the club in 2005. He was a last minute signing from Real Zaragoza before the transfer window closed and will get the start in Genoa’s usual 3-4-3 attacking formation.

Milan (Probable): (4-3-1-2) Benussi; Polenghi, Stendardo, Diamoutene, Antunes Giacomazzi, Zanchetta, Ariatti; Caserta; Cacia, Tribocchi
Genoa (Probable): (3-4-3) Rubinho; Biava, Ferrari, Criscito; Mesto, Milanetto, Juric, Modesto; Sculli, Milito, Gasbarroni

Player to Watch: Ronaldinho (Milan) - He had an excellent debut and will need to continue this form for the Rosanero to get on the right track.

Prediction: Draw. In front of their home supporters, Genoa get the shock result and Ancelotti starts to pack his bags. Franck Rijkaard and Roberto Donadoni have been named as possible replacements.

Summary: In the late game, Juventus face a tough test against Udinese. The Old Lady was held to a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina last week, as they had to do without Trezeguet, Sissoko, and Zanetti. Trezeguet and Sissoko should return, but all eyes will be on the talented Antonio Di Natale. The Italian international has been on the top of his game after bagging a brace in the opening round. His performances with the Italian national team have also caused a few heads to turn. He will once again be part of the deadly attacking trident for Udinese with Fabio Quagliarella and Simone Pepe.

Juventus (Probable): (4-4-2) Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Sissoko, Poulsen, Nedved; Amauri, Iaquinta
Udinese (Probable): (4-3-3) Handonovic; Ferronetti, Coda, Lukovic, Pasquale; Inler, D’Agostino, Isla; Pepe, Quagliarella, Di Natale

Player to Watch: Antonio Di Natale (Udiense) - ’nuff said.

Prediction: Home win. It won’t be easy, but Juventus will pull it off. They have too much talent to stay down for long.

Summary: Week 2 action kicks off with an important clash that pits two teams desperate to get in the win category after lackluster starts to their seasons. Roma could only manage a draw against Napoli, while Palermo fell to Udinese. Roma is still missing their captain, Francesco Totti, paving the way for Serbian hitman Mirko Vucinic to start in the lone striker role. Julio Baptista is also not likely to start due to his recent international duty. Rodrigo Taddei is set to make his first start in months after finally healing from muscular injuries.

Several questions surround Palermo coming into this match. The Rosanero will be under the guidance of new coach Davide Ballarini after Stefano Colantuono’s week 1 sacking. Their attacking options are still up in the air and we may or may not see Italian U-21 star Lanzafame. Newly signed forward Davide Succi is also an option in attack and could make his Serie A debut.

Palermo (Probable): (4-3-1-2) Amelia; Raggi, Carrizzieri, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli
Roma (Probable): (4-2-3-1) Doni; Cicinho, Panucci, Loria, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Taddei, Aquilani, Tonetto; Vucinic

Player to Watch: Alberto Aquilani (Roma) - The Italian international already got on the scoresheet in Week 1 and despite his differences with the club over the summer, he is an important figure in Roma’s success.

Prediction: Away win. It will be surprising if Palermo can pull it together after their “surprise” coaching change. The week off was good for them, but they will still be outmatched.

Summary: Southern minnows Catania can say they are in first place in Serie A after an impressive win over Genoa in Week 1. Their honeymoon at the top of the table may be over as they now must face go on the road against an elite Inter side. The home side will be eager to impress their fans after failing to get all three points on the road against Sampdoria last week. Although Inter are potentially one of the best teams in Serie A, this could be a dangerous match with several key players possibly being absent. The recent international duty, as well as the upcoming Champions League match against Werder Bremen, could force Inter coach Jose Mourinho to rest several of his lads. Don’t expect to see Dejan Stankovic at all on Saturday. The Serb suffered an injury during a World Cup qualifying match and could be out about a month. One thing we can count on is Riccardo Quaresma making his Serie A debut for the Nerazzurri. The new signing from Porto will be part of a deadly trident attack with Amantino Mancini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Catania doesn’t have any serious injury concerns for this match. Defender Pablo Alvarez will likely sit out for this match with a minor injury. As if it wasn’t a daunting enough task to face Serie A Champions Inter on the road, the Elefanti will have to do so without any traveling support. Their fans are banned from attending to San Siro due to concerns over public safety.

Inter (Probable): (4-3-3) Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Materazzi, Maxwell; Viera, Cambiasso, Muntari; Figo, Ibrahimovic, Quaresma
Catania (Probable): (4-4-3) Bizzarri; Silvestri, Terlizzi, Stovini, Sabato; Biagianti, Ledesma, Tedesco; Martinez, Paolucci, Mascara

Player to Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter) - Already with one goal to his name, the lanky Swede has a knack for scoring.

Prediction: Home win. Mourinho gets his first Serie A win against the weaker Sicilians.

Udinese: Hananovic; Coda, Pasquale, Ferronetti, Lukovic; D’Agostino (Tissone 73′), Inler, Isla (Nef 78′); Pepe (Motta 66′), Quagliarella, Pepe
Palermo: Amelia; Dellafiore, Balzaretti, Raggi, Bovo; Liverani, Nocerino, Migliaccio (Simplicio 78′), Jankovic (Bresciano 45′); Cavani (Lanzafame (75′), Miccoli

Summary: Udinese were easily able to handle Palermo at home on Saturday by a score of 3-1. Italian international Antonio Di Natale got his team off on a flying start, opening the season with a brace. Palermo keeper Marco Amelia did all he could early on, but Udinese continued to drive forward while Palermo showed nothing on the other end.

The most sensational story relating to this game is the firing of Palermo coach Stefano Colantuono. Palermo president Mauizio Zamparini has been trigger happy with his coaches as of late. In an almost comical series of events, Colantuono was hired in 2007, then fired after a bad run of results, then rehired at the end of the 2008 season, and now only lasted 1 game into the new season before Zamparini dropped the axe yet again. Davide Ballardini, who had success saving Cagliari last year, has been named as his predecessor. Ballardini was a target for the open job at West Ham before he signed with the Rosanero.

Man of the Match: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese) - Without a doubt he was the star of the show. He scored the first and second goals of the new Serie A season.

Next Week (9/14): Udinese @ Juve, Palermo vs Roma

Sampdoria: Mirante; Gastadello, Accardi, Campagnaro (Lucchini 79′); Palombo, Franceschini, Pieri, Sammarco, Stankevicius (Padalino 57′); Delvecchio (Dessena 86′), Cassano
Inter: Cesar; Maicon, Cambiasso, Materazzi, Maxwell; Zanetti, Stankovic, Muntari (Crespo 72′); Figo (Jiminez 72′), Ibrahimovic, Mancini (Balotelli 64′)

Summary: Sampdoria spoiled Jose Mourinho’s Serie A debut and held Inter to a suprise draw at the Stadio Ferraris last Saturday. Walter Mazzarri’s men entered the match as a home underdog, and trailed 1-0 after Swedish hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic got Inter off to a flying start. Sampdoria didn’t back down and in the second half they began to get forward and create more chances. The homeside finally broke through in the 68th minute when Gennaro Delvecchio made the best of a Douglas Maicon headed effort to clear the ball away from goal.

Mourinho used more attacking options later in the second half, including teen sensation Mario Balotelli. Both teams had their chance to win it, but it would ultimately end in a stalemate. The 1-1 draw against the defending champions is a result that Sampdoria fans can be proud of.

Man of the Match: Gennaro Delvecchio (Sampdoria) - Delvecchio’s, who created several scoring chances in the first half, broke through in the second half with his pouched effort and helped Samp get the draw.

Next Week (9/14): Sampdoria @ Lazio, Inter vs Catania

Atalanta: Coppola; Garics, Talamonti, Manfredini; Bellini (Pellegrino 45′), Ferreira Pinto (Capelli 81′), Manzoni (D’Agostino 53′), Guarente, Padoin; Doni; Floccari
Siena: Curci; Del Prete (Zuniga 74′), Ficagna, Portanova, A Rossi; Vergassola, Codrea (Frick 77′), Galloppa (Jarolin 58′); Kharja; Calaiò, Maccarone

Summary: It was a preview of two possible relegation contenders this year when Atalanta hosted Siena at the Stadio Azzurri d’Italia. The home side started early and started well when Simone Padoin’s header gave Atalanta the lead after just 15 minutes. This was all the Bergamo outfit would need, as Siena’s lackluster attack hardly troubled the opposing defense.

It was a frustrating day for Siena that was capped off with striker Massimo Maccarone being sent off after receiving his second yellow card. Maccarone could be given more than a suspension after he foolishly pushed the referee. This left a 10 man Siena with little hope to get one back in the final minutes.

Man of the Match: Ferdinando Coppola (Atalanta) - The few chances Siena had of leveling the match were taken away by Coppola’s excellent goalkeeping.

Next Week (9/14): Atalanta @ Bologna, Siena vs Cagliari

Cagliari: Marchetti; Pisano (Lazzari 74′), Lopez, Canini, Agostini; Fini, Conti, Biondini; Cossu (Magliocchetti 64′); Jeda (Matri 78′), Larrivey
Lazio: Carrizo; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Rozehnal, Kolarov; Brocchi (Foggia 45′), Ledesma, Matuzalem, Mauri; Pandev (Manfredini 89′), Zarate (Makinwa 90′)

Summary: Relegation favorites Cagliari didn’t have the best start to their season after a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of visitors Lazio. The Biancocelesti have had an interesting summer after some messy divorces with players such as Valon Behrami and Roberto Baronio. There are many new faces for the Roman side, with the most prominent being Argentine Mauro Zarate. Zarate got his feet wet in Serie A by first easily scoring a goal from the penalty spot, followed by a spectacular goal minutes later. Zarate lobbed over a defender and goalkeeper for his second goal of the day.

The visitors took a 3-1 when substitute Pasquale Foggia drove in a low cross against his former team. Foggia’s goal, although he did not celebrate it, was not well recieved by the home fans who are still left with feelings of betrayal from the 25-year-old. Foggia later set up the fourth and final goal, crossing one in for Goran Pandev to finish. It was the debut for Cagliari’s on-loan Albinoleffe goalkeeper Federico Marchetti, one he will want to forget.

Man of the Match: Mauro Zarate (Lazio) - What a debut for the young Argetine that Lazio president Claudio Lotito claims will be better than Lionel Messi.

Next Week (9/14): Cagliari @ Siena, Lazio vs Sampdoria

Catania: Bizzarri; Silvestri, Silvestre, Stovini, Alvarez; Ledesma, Biagianti; Mascara (Terlizzi 89′), Dica (Tedesco 60′), Martinez (Antenucci 85′); Paolucci
Genoa: Rubinho; Vanden Borre (Mesto 76′), Biava, Ferrari, Criscito; Modesto, Rossi, Juric; Gasbarroni (Palladino 60′), Olivera, Sculli (Di Gennaro 66′)

Summary: Southern minnows Catania got their season off to a great start by defeating Genoa 1-0. The hosts are hoping to avoid another relegation-threatened season after just scraping by last year.

Giuseppi Mascara put Catania ahead at the hour mark after making the most of Robinho’s poor clearence from a Martinez cross. Both sides would have more chances later in the second half. Robinho did well to prevent Catania adding another when he parried away Michele Paolucci’s excellent effort on goal. Genoa flooded forward late, but ulimately couldn’t do enough to get one back.

Man of the Match: Jorge Martinez (Catania) - The Uruguayan forward did well to create chances for Catania, with his cross resulting in the winning goal.

Next Week (9/14): Catania @ Inter, Genoa vs Milan

Chievo: Sorrentino; Mantovani, Mandelli, Malagò, Marcolini (Pinzi 82′), Bentivoglio, Luciano (D’Anna 56′), Iunco (Langella 60′), Pellissier, Cesar, Italiano
Reggina: Campagnolo; Lanzaro (Stuani 90′), Cirillo, Valdez, Aronica, Vigiani, Barreto, Tognozzi, Hallfredsson (Cascione 85′), Ceravolo (Costa 61′), Corradi

Summary: Two late Chievo goals helped them claw back after trailing Reggina 1-0 at home. With an attack lead by Sergio Pellissier, The Flying Donkeys had the best chances in the first half. Reggina goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo was brilliant at times in saving Chievo’s best efforts.

The first goal didn’t come until the 72nd minute when new Reggina signing Bernardo Corradi got his first goal from the penalty spot. Corradi was awarded the penalty with what seemed very little contact. In what might have been a makeup call for the home side, Chievo was imediately awared a penalty of their own in the most questioable of circumstances. Langella and Tognozzi went for a 50/50 ball in the penalty area, with both players crashing to the ground before the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Chievo leveled out the scoreline after converting the penalty, and when it looked like both sides would be content with a draw, Vincenzo Italiano made the best of a set piece late in the match to earn his side 3 points.

Man of the Match: Vincenzo Italiano (Chievo) - His blast from outside the box left Campagnolo helpless and gave Chievo the victory.

Next Week (9/14): Chievo @ Lecce, Reggina vs Torino

Chievo: Abbiati; Zambrotta, Maldini, Kaladze, Jankulovski (Shevchenko 45′); Flamini, Pirlo, Ambrosini (Emerson 85′); Seedorf, Ronaldinho; Inzaghi (Pato 69′)
Reggina: Antonioli; Zenoni, Moras, Terzi, Bombardini (Castellini 90′); Mingazzini, Volpi; Adailton (Marazzina 60′), Amoroso (Mudingayi 60′), Valiani; Di Vaio

Summary: In the most suprising result of the opening week, Bologna went on the road to defeat Milan in front of 60,000 stunned fans at the San Siro. It was the Milan debut for both Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko.

This would be Bologna’s first match back in the top flight after their recent promotion from Serie B. New signing and former Genoa striker Marco Di Vaio put the visitors ahead in the 18th minute with a low angled drive. Massimo Ambrosini wouldn’t allow Milan to be down for long, heading in a lob from Rolandinho in the 41st minute.

Despite the addition of Shevchenko and Pato in the second half, but Bologna were able to hold off the constant pressure and looked the more dangerous team toward the end of the match. In the 79th minute, Francesco Valiani combined passes with Di Vaio and unleashed a shot in the top corner of the net that left Abbiati helpless. Bologna’s 2-1 victory no doubt puts pressure on Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti in the early season.

Man of the Match: Marco Di Vaio (Bologna) - The Rossoblu newcomer was a star in his debut, scoring the first goal and setting up the second. He is the key to Bologna’s attack this season.

Next Week (9/14): Milan @ Genoa, Bologna vs Atalanta

Roma: Doni; Cicinho (Menez 64′), Juan, Mexes, Riise (Tonetto 72′); De Rossi, Pizarro; Cassetti, Aquilani, Baptista (Okaka 81′); Vucinic
Napoli: Iezzo; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Contini; Maggio, Blasi, Gargano, Hamsik (Pazienza 77′), Vitale (Rinaudo 67′); Lavezzi, Denis (Zalayeta 84′)

Summary: A Totti-less Roma side took on Napoli in the 124th edition of the Derby del Sole. Roma would debut two of their new signings: John Arne Riise and Julio Baptista.

Roma would strike first at the half hour mark when Alberto Aquilani controlled a great ball from Daniele de Rossi and volleyed it from 10 yards away. Napoli’s chances to get back in the game took a turn for the worse when Fabiano Santacroce recieved his second yellow card just 10 minutes into the second half. Despite this, 10 man Napoli were clearly the better side after half time and deservedly leveled the score in the 56th minute when star midfielder Marek Hamsik cleaned up a loose ball after a corner kick.

Both sides had chances to win it late but neither took advantage. Ezequiel Lavezzi’s last minute effort was stopped by a remarkable Doni save, while on the Roma end substitute Jeremy Menez misfired on an open goal.

In a related story, Napoli fans have been banned from traveling to away matches all season long after several supporters caused a disturbance when they boarded a Roma-bound train without tickets. Several trains were also later vandalized.

Man of the Match: Marek Hamsik (Napoli) - The Slovakian got his side even with an acrobatic goal, the first of many more to come this season.

Next Week (9/14): Roma @ Palermo, Napoli vs Fiorentina

Torino: Sereni; Diana, Di Loreto, Pratali (Ogbonna 74′), Rubin; P Zanetti (Barone 63′), Corini, Saumel; Rosina, Amoruso (Colombo 80′); Bianchi
Lecce: Benussi; Angelo, Fabiano, Diamoutene, Antunes (Vives 61′); Munari (Konan 61′), Giacomazzi, Caserta, Ariatti; Tiribocchi, Cacia (Castillo 82′)

Summary: A five-star Torino started off their season with a 3-0 shutout of Serie A newcomes Lecce. Rolando Bianchi made his debut for the Granata and played the entire match, making the most of the opportunity and scoring his first goal of the season.

Torino dominated possession and controlled the match, not giving Lecce any clear opportunities to score any goals. Torino broke through in the 29th minute when a hand ball in the box lead to Alessandro Rosina converting the spot kick. Paolo Zanetti added another goal just four minutes later and it was an uphill climb for the Giallorossi from there.

Bianchi was able to break through and give Torino the 3-0 lead when he headed the ball in after Lecce keeper Francesco Benussi failed to handle a Rosina strike.

Man of the Match: Alessandro Rosina (Torino) - The Toro captain played an excellent all around game and gave the home fans a match to remember.

Next Week (9/14): Torino @ Reggina, Lecce vs Chievo

Fiorentina: Frey; Zauri, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Vargas; Almiron (Jovetic 54′), Felipe Melo, Donadel (Kuzmanovic 79′); Santana, Gilardino, Osvaldo (Pazzini 64′)
Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Molinaro (De Ceglie 74′); Camoranesi (Iaquinta 88′), Marchisio, Poulsen, Nedved; Amauri, Del Piero

Summary: In the matchup of the week, a 10 man Fiorentina suprised Juventus with a last minute equalizer to earn the 1-1 draw. Several stars were absent from this game, including Adrian Mutu and David Trezeguet.

Veteran Pavel Nedved, who turned 36 on Saturday, opened scoring in the 39th minute when he easily tapped in a well worked ball from teammate Zdenek Grygera.

Fiorentina were unable to find the equalizer despite piling on the pressure and pinning back the Juve defense in the second half. Things took a turn for the worse for the Viola when Felipe Melo received his second yellow card with just seven minutes to go. With about a minute left on the clock, Alberto Gilardino became a hero for the Viola, earning a point for his team after working his way around defender Olof Mellberg and sinking the ball into the corner of the net.

Man of the Match: Zdenek Grygera (Juventus) - The Czech defender earned himself an assist while holding off whatever Fioretina threw at him throughout the match.

Next Week (9/14): Fiorentina @ Napoli, Juventus vs Udinese

Saturday, August 30, 12 pm ET

Last Meeting: Udinese 1-1 Palermo

Form: Udinese: n/a, Palermo: n/a

Summary: The 2008-09 Serie A campaign kicks off when Palermo take a trip up north to the Stadio Friuli to take on Udinese. The Amauri-less Palermo turn the page to a brand new chapter and a whole new look for their side. Both teams ended their pre-seasons with suprising defeats. Udinese fell to Espanyol, while Palermo were stunned in the Coppa Italia by Serie C minnows Ravenna. This one could turn out to be a goal fest. Udinese is weak in defense (53 goals conceeded last year), while they have the potential to score many goals with the attacking trident of Di Natale, Pepe, and Quagliarella.

Udinese (Probable): (4-3-3) Handanovic; Pasquale, Lukovic, Coda, Motta; Tissone, D’Agostino, Inler; Di Natale, Quagliarella, Pepe

Palermo (Probable): (4-3-3) Amelia; Balzaretti, Bovo, Dellafiore, Raggi; Nocerino, Liverani, Migliaccio; Miccoli, Cavani, Lanzafame

Player to Watch: Marco Amelia (Palermo) - The talented goalkeeper starts a new journey after leaving relegated Livorno. Will he be up to the task against an attacking Udinese side?

Prediction: Away win.

Saturday, August 30, 2:30 pm ET

Last Meeting: Sampdoria 1-1 Inter

Form: Sampdoria : n/a, Inter: n/a

Summary: Walter Mazzarri’s Sampdoria have one of the most difficult season openers as they host Serie A champions Inter on Saturday. The spotlight will be on Inter coach Jose Mourinho wanting to start his Serie A career on the right foot. A positive result shouldn’t be a problem for Mourinho’s strong Inter side. The best Samp can hope for in this one might be a draw. It is an intriguing matchup, as Mourinho will field a starting 11 of all non-Italian players, while Mazzarri might have 10 or 11 Italian players, depending on whether or not new Lithuanian signing Marius Stankevicius starts.

Sampdoria (Probable): (3-5-2) Mirante; Accardi, Luccini, Campagnaro; Pieri, Franceschini, Palombo, Sammarco, Stankevicius; Bonazzoli, Cassano

Inter (Probable): (4-3-3) Julio Cesar; Maxwell, Materazzi, Cambiasso, Maicon; Muntari, Stankovic, Zanetti; Mancini, Ibrahimovic, Balotelli

Player to Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter) - When he is healthy, there is no one better in Serie A. An early season pick for the Capocannoniere.

Prediction: Away win.