Saturday 9 SeptemberFiorentina 2-3 Inter
Luca Toni picked up where he left off last season but Scudetto holders Inter prevailed on the opening night of the Serie A season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (pictured) scored what proved to be the game-winner after a pair of strikes from Esteban Cambiasso. Toni reduced the deficit with two late strikes but it was too little, too late. The Viola are looking at a very long season after being hit with a 19-point deduction for their involvement in the match-fixing scandal. The early defeat means the Tuscan team now trail championship favourites Inter by 22 points.
Roma 2-0 Livorno
In the opening game, Roma claimed the first points of the new season as they downed Livorno 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico. Goals either side of half-time from midfielders Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Mancini sealed the contest as Roma made a successful start in their bid to reclaim the title they last won in 2001.
Sunday 10 September
Milan 2-1 Lazio
AC Milan made a good start to their initial task of overturning their eight-point match-fixing penalty by fending off a late Lazio comeback to record a 2-1 victory in their first game. Filippo Inzaghi and new signing Ricardo Oliveira, touted as Andriy Shevchenko's replacement, had given Milan what seemed like an unassailable lead with strikes either side of half-time. But when Stephen Makinwa clawed one back for the team from Rome with 17 minutes remaining it set up a frantic finale. Lazio, who themselves began the season with an 11-point penalty for their part in the scandal, surged forward in search of an equaliser and forged a host of chances but could not find a way through.
Palermo 4-3 Reggina
Palermo played some exhilarating football but in the end did well to hang on for all three points with a 4-3 victory against a brave Reggina team who had hoped to chip away at their 15-point deficit. Goals inside the first half-hour from Mark Bresciano, Giuseppe Biava and Eugenio Corini's penalty put Palermo well in charge at the La Favorita. But two goals from Rolando Bianchi either side of the break put the visitors from Reggio Calabria back in the match. However, Amauri, Palermo's recent signing from Chievo, restored the two-goal lead for the Sicilians against a Reggina team that by now had had Salvatore Aronica sent off. Bianchi then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to set up a frantic finale, but the visiting team was unable to complete the comeback.
Messina 1-0 Udinese
Messina look ready to make the most of their reprieve from relegation after starting the season with a 1-0 win against Udinese. Messina were the beneficiaries of Juventus' demotion to Serie B this summer, as they avoided relegation as a result of the misdeeds of the Turin club. And they have grabbed that lifeline with both hands as Marco Zanchi's 72nd-minute goal gave them all three points on opening day, and handed new coach Bruno Giordano a winning start.
Atalanta 3-1 Ascoli
Nicola Ventola netted twice as Atalanta made a triumphant return to Serie A on Sunday with a 3-1 home victory over Ascoli. Last season's Serie B champions looked full of confidence in maintaining the winning habit against a side which never looked capable of stemming the tide. The hosts went ahead through a Riccardo Zampagna strike shortly after the half-hour mark before Ventola took centre stage, scoring twice before half-time to effectively settle the contest. Sasa Bjelanovic pulled one back after 60 minutes but Ascoli were well beaten, despite a promising start.
Chievo 1-2 Siena
Siena got their new season off to a winning start with victory over 10-man Chievo at the Stadio Bentegodi. Sergio Pellissier opened the scoring for the home side as they looked to kick their season off with a win. But second-half goals from Ezio Brevi and Enrico Chiesa sealed the victory for the team from Tuscany before Matteo Brighi was sent off for a professional foul.
Sampdoria 2-1 Empoli
Sampdoria's season started precisely how the last one ended - with a defeat at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Empoli's 2-1 win also extended Samp's streak of games without a win to 14, but apart from the first 25 minutes, during which Emiliano Bonnazzoli gave the home side the lead, they could have very few complaints. It took Empoli a while to settle, but when they did, it was almost one-way traffic. Antonio Busce brought them level after 27 minutes and they went ahead through a Luca Saudati penalty just seven minutes into the second half after the Empoli striker was pulled down inside the penalty area by Giulio Falcone, who was sent off for the foul. To round off another disappointing day for Sampdoria and coach Walter Novellino, substitute Gennaro Delvecchio was sent off in the 88th minute for a second yellow card after kicking the ball away when adjudged to be offside.
Cagliari 0-1 Catania
Catania emerged victorious from the battle of the island clubs in the Derby delle Isole as Giorgio Corona's second-half goal proved enough to see off Cagliari. Corona's strike lit up a game of very few chances, the striker volleying home in fine style in the 55th minute to earn his side three points from their season opener.
Roberto Stellone's late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Alberto Zaccheroni's Torino against Parma at the Stadio Grande Torino. Igor Budan gave Parma the lead on 55 minutes, but Stellone popped up in the final minute to earn the Granata a point on their return to the top flight.
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