By DPA
Milan : David Trezeguet notched a hat trick and new hire Vincenzo Iaquinta scored twice as Juventus crushed Livorno 5-1 in a Serie A game that marked their return to the top flight.
In the season opener earlier Saturday, Torino snatched a 2-2 draw away at Rome side Lazio.
Trezeguet opened the scoring for Juve Saturday as they rejoined the Serie A after a season in the lower division, where they were relegated for their role in a wide match-fixing scandal.
The French international had a first chance on 13 minutes when he and captain Alessandro Del Piero pounced on a ball fumbled by defender Nico Pulzetti, and inflated the net behind keeper Marco Amelia on 29 minutes nodding home a cross from Del Piero.
Amelia had managed a great save on a previous Trezeguet shot and also parried a fast effort from defender Giorgio Chiellini on 27 minutes. A further feat from the keeper denied Del Piero when he fired a nasty free kick on 39 minutes.
Juve’s Argentinian play maker Sergio Almiron twice tried after the break, aiming a feeble drive after firing high on 52 minutes.
Fausto Rossini squandered Livorno’s best chance in the game, nodding an easy ball over the bar one minute before Vincezo Iaquinta secured Juve’s win converting from the spot.
The striker came on for Del Piero on the hour and scored his first goal after Alessandro Grandoni floored him on 70 minutes.
Luck lent Iaquinta a hand as he deflected home a smashing shot from Pavel Nedved with five minutes left. One minute later, Trezeguet laid in a feed from his striking mate and rounded off with a heel touch off an Antonio Nocerino assist.
Massimo Loviso scored Livorno’s consolation goal in the dying seconds.
Meanwhile in the stifling heat at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, Torino battled Lazio to a draw in a match where both sides surrendered leads.
Lazio were the first to threaten on eight minutes as a diving header from Tommaso Rocchi was saved by Lazio’s former keeper Matteo Sereni.
But Alessandro Rosina put Torino ahead, curling a textbook lob under the bar to the left of veteran keeper Marco Ballotta.
Before the break Sereni kept Torino in the lead, making great saves on two fierce shots by Christian Ledesma and one from Massimo Mutarelli.
The second half saw Lazio press the hosts in their midfield and reverse the score through goals from strikers Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchi.
The Macedonian was left free to fire home on 56 minutes from inside the area, while Rocchi five minutes later split the defence freeing himself on the area limit to stun Sereni with a nasty low drive on the keeper’s left.
Torino appeared to be on the ropes, but gradually regained speed and grit and equalised on 67 minutes thanks to a header from fresh substitute midfielder Tommaso Vailatti.
The 21-year-old celebrated his Serie A debut by stunning Ballotta, who at 43 is the league’s oldest player, with a classy downward header.
Torino captain Gianluca Comotto made things harder for his side by being dismissed for a second booking with six minutes to go.