Two late goals from Mirko Vucinic and Kwadwo Asamoah sent Serie A champions Juventus back to the top of the table thanks to a 3-1 win away to Genoa yesterday.
A double strike from Brazilian midfielder Hernanes and an effort from Miroslav Klose had been enough to send Lazio top on goal difference thanks to a 3-1 away victory away to Chievo in the day’s early match.
But three days before meeting Chelsea in the Champions League, Juventus showed poise and determination to remain unbeaten in 42 matches.
Genoa dominated the first half and went in for the break a goal up thanks to a 18th-minute strike from Ciro Immobile.
But a double Juve substitution just before the hour mark, with Vucinic coming on for Alessandro Matri and Asamoah replacing Paolo De Ceglie, proved inspirational.
Genoa seemed ready to grab a second goal with Marco Borriello slamming his header against the bar just before the hour mark.
Gianluigi Buffon then did well to save Andrea Bertolacci’s strike.
But Juventus pulled level moments later when midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini shaped a great shot past French keeper Sebastien Frey from 25 metres.
The match then turned when Bertolacci fouled Asamoah and Vucinic put the visitors ahead from the spot.
Asamoah put the match beyond reach for Genoa when he pounced to slam the ball past Frey after Vucinic’s cross-goal pass came off Genoa’s Swedish defender Andreas Granqvist.
Juve’s caretaker coach Massimo Carrera, standing in as Antonio Conte serves a 10-month ban for his role in an illegal sports-betting affair, said the match could have gone either way.
“We suffered in the first half, but in the second half we played wider, increased the pace and managed to turn things around,” Carrera said, underlining Buffon’s contribution.
“Buffon made a great save, without that miracle it might have finished 3-2.”
Prior to yesterday, only four teams had managed to win their first two games of the season and the same four maintained their 100 per cent records.
In a highly-entertaining match Sampdoria gave the other half of Genoa some cheer with a 3-2 win away to struggling newcomers Pescara.
Napoli, meanwhile, continued their promising start with a 3-1 home win over Parma.
While Lazio were celebrating, their cross-town rivals Roma were left scratching their heads after a 3-2 reverse to Bologna at the Olympic Stadium.
Roma had a 2-0 lead at half-time thanks to a headed goal from Alessandro Florenzi and a left-foot strike from Erik Lamela.
But the Giallorossi were stunned late in the second half. On-loan Genoa striker Alberto Gilardino pulled one back on 72 minutes and the visitors levelled through Ales-sandro Diamani a minute later.
Gilardino then grabbed a shock winner on 90 minutes to leave Zdenek Zeman’s fancied side in seventh with four points from three games.
“We had a solid first half and after we’d settled into the game Bologna came back at us,” said Zeman, admitting the hosts had suffered a “heavy blow”.
Elsewhere, Inter beat Torino 2-0 away with goals from Diego Milito and Antonio Cassano, Siena drew 2-2 at home to Udinese and Fiorentina moved up to fifth place with a 2-0 win which came courtesy of goals from Stevan Jovetic and former striker Luca Toni, who made his debut after recently re-signing for the Florence club.
Serie A
Chievo 1
Pellisier 82 pen;
Lazio 3
Hernanes 5, 74; Klose 38;
HT: 0-2. Att: 11,000.
Fiorentina 2
Jovetic 43; Toni 65;
Catania 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 22,727.
Genoa 1
Immobile 18;
Juventus 3
Giaccherini 61; Vucinic 78 pen; Asamoah 84;
HT: 1-0. Att: 20,000.
Napoli 3
Cavani 3 pen; Pandev 39; Insigne 77;
Parma 1
Parolo 44;
HT: 2-1. Att: 30,000.
Pescara 2
Celik 75; Caprari 90;
Sampdoria 3
Lopez 31, 76; Estigarribia 60;
HT: 0-1. Att: 15,500.
Roma 2
Florenzi 7; Lamela 16;
Bologna 3
Gilardino 72, 90; Diamanti 73;
HT: 2-0. Att: 44,494.
Siena 2
Calaio 70; Eduardo 77 pen;
Udinese 2
Basta 3; Di Natale 6;
HT: 0-2. Att: 7,831.
Red card: Lazzari (U) 53.
Torino 0
Inter 2
Milito 13; Cassano 83;
HT: 0-1. Att: 13,000.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 9 |
| Napoli | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| Lazio | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| Sampdoria (-1) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| Inter | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Fiorentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Roma | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Catania | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Torino (-1) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Milan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Genoa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Chievo | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Parma | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Bologna | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| Atalanta (-2) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Cagliari | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Udinese | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| Palermo | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Pescara | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Siena (-6) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -4 |
Top scorers
4 goals: Jovetic (Fiorentina).
3 goals: Hernanes (Lazio), Klose (Lazio), Pazzini (Milan), Lopez (Sampdoria).
Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Parma vs Fiorentina; 20.45 Juventus vs Chievo.
Sunday: 12.30 Sampdoria vs Torino. 15.00 Atalanta vs Palermo; Bologna vs Pescara; Cagliari vs Roma; Catania vs Napoli; Inter vs Siena; Udinese vs Milan. 20.45 Lazio vs Genoa.
Prima Divisione – A
Albinoleffe vs Entella 3-1; Cremonese vs FeralpiSalo 2-0; Lecce vs San Marino 2-0; Pavia vs Lumezzane 0-0; Portogruaro vs Carpi 2-0; Reggiana vs Cuneo 2-0; Trapani vs Treviso 3-2; Tritium vs Como 2-2.
Standings: Lecce 9; Entella, Trapani, Reggiana, Carpi 6; Como, Portogruaro, SudTirol 4; Cremonese, San Marino, Cuneo, FeralpiSalo 3; Lumezzane 2; Pavia, Tritium 1; Treviso 0; AlbinoLeffe -5.
Prima Divisione – B
Avellino vs Paganese 1-1; Catanzaro vs Benevento 1-2; Frosinone vs Andria 2-1; Nocerina vs Latina 0-1; Perugia vs Gubbio 2-0; Pisa vs Barletta 2-2; Sorrento vs Carrarese 2-0; Viareggio vs Prato 1-1.
Standings: Perugia 9; Benevento, Latina 6; Pisa, Avellino, Frosinone 5; Paganese, Sorrento, Viareggio, Gubbio 4; Prato, Catanzaro 3; Andria, Nocerina 2; Barletta 1; Carrarese 0.