The Albany Gazette - Juve notch second straight win, Fiorentina's centenary party falls flat

Luciano Spalletti's men had to work hard for their three points, needing second-half goals from substitutes Nicolas Gonzalez and Teun Koopmeiners to secure the victory.

Juve are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season last term when they finished sixth and missed out on the Champions League.

Close-season signings Randal Kolo Muani and Jhon Lucumi both started, while 18-year-old Bosnian Kerim Alajbegovic had an impact after coming off the bench to make his debut.

The Old Lady have not won a Scudetto since winning their ninth consecutive title in 2020, but will be delighted with their start to this campaign after kicking it off with a 1-0 win at Frosinone.

Fiorentina club legends, including Gabriel Batistuta and Claudio Ranieri were in attendance, only to see Fiorentina fail to bounce back from their 4-0 thrashing at Roma last weekend in their opener.

Antonio Raimondo netted twice for the visitors, with Gabriele Bracaglia also on the scoresheet.

Fiorentina flirted with relegation last season before finishing 15th.

Italian World Cup winner Fabio Grosso took over from Paolo Vanoli as coach in June, and the club has brought in a host of signings including Christ Inao Oulai, Arthur Atta and Mateo Pellegrino.

The changes have not had the desired impact, with the two-time Serie A champions already rooted to the foot of the early table.

Milan, also active in the transfer market, beat Venezia 2-0 on Friday.

(K.Lee--TAG)