Rome, Aug 25 (IANS) Captain Giorgio Chiellini scored early as Juventus beat Parma 1-0 to kick off its bid for a record-extending ninth straight Serie A title in the Italian Serie A opener.
Chiellini netted in the 21st minute following a corner on Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal disallowed in the first half by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) due to an almost imperceptible offside call, Xinhua news agency reported.
While Ronaldo missed wide and over on several occasions in the first half, he also placed a powerful, long-range blast on goal near the hour mark that required a difficult save from Parma goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.
Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny also produced a tough save early on to deny Roberto Inglese after a counterattack.
Meanwhile, Serie A runners-up Napoli won a 4-3 thriller against Fiorentina. Skipper Lorenzo Insigne scored a brace for Napoli including the 67th-minute winner and had a role in Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon’s goals for the southerners.
–IANS
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