AS Roma vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
AS Roma handed Juventus a second straight loss at the start of the new Serie A season, beating the reigning champions 2-1 on Sunday.
Miralem Pjanic gave the hosts a deserved lead just after the hour mark at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, curling a beautiful free-kick beyond a stationary Gianluigi Buffon.
Roma's advantage was doubled in the 79th minute when Edin Dzeko rose high to meet Iago Falque's hopeful cross from the left, allowing the former Manchester City striker to nod the ball home.
Just prior to falling further behind, Juventus had seen defender Patrice Evra dismissed after picking up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.
The 10 men of the Bianconeri gave themselves a late glimmer of hope with a goal from Paulo Dybala, but it ended up being no more than a consolation effort.
Still, Roma would have had to settle for a share of the spoils had goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny not pulled off an outstanding save in injury time.
Here, Bleacher Report picks out the winners and losers from the heavyweight clash in the capital city.
Winner: Miralem Pjanic
1 of 6
Miralem Pjanic produced a moment of real quality to finally give AS Roma the lead they deserved.
The midfielder stepped up to curl home a free-kick. His precision with the set piece was so good that the great Gianluigi Buffon didn't even move in the Juventus goal.
Pjanic had been unfortunate not to break the deadlock in the first half, as a curling effort with his right foot from the edge of the box was only kept out by a post.
He was deservedly named Man of the Match by WhoScored.com, who noted on Twitter that he completed two dribbles and also produced a pair of key passes to aid his team's cause.
Loser: Paul Pogba
2 of 6
It proved to be a disappointing game for Juventus and Paul Pogba in particular.
The Frenchman cut a frustrated figure from very early in the contest. He was booked in the first half for a foul on Mohamed Salah and at times walked a disciplinary tightrope with referee Nicola Rizzoli.
He did manage the visiting side's only shot in a dismal first half, although even that attempt ended up going well wide of the target. His scuffed effort rather summed up Juventus' performance before the break.
But, the question is, will it be Pogba's last appearance in the famous jersey of the Bianconeri?
Chelsea have been heavily linked to him, with Jack De Menezes of the Independent reporting on Sunday that it will cost the reigning Premier League champions £72 million to acquire the player.
Winner: AS Roma's Summer Recruits from the Premier League
3 of 6
AS Roma looked to England’s Premier League to strengthen their squad during the summer transfer window.
While it is still early days yet, Wojciech Szczesny, Mohamed Salah and Edin Dzeko have quickly demonstrated the impact they can have on their new team’s attempts to end Juventus’ reign in Italy.
Salah, who arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea, was a constant threat out wide, while former Manchester City striker Dzeko grabbed the all-important second goal for the hosts in Rome.
However, had it not been for Szczesny, Roma would have ended up picking up just a point from a match they dominated.
The goalkeeper—on loan from Arsenal for the campaign—produced a brilliant late save to keep out Leonardo Bonucci’s header from a corner. Take a look for yourself, courtesy of a GIF tweeted by Soccer Without Limits' Brandon Boyer.
Loser: Patrice Evra
4 of 6
Patrice Evra wasn't the only Juventus player to find the going tough. In fact, bar Gigi Buffon, no one in the visiting side came out of the defeat with much credit.
However, Evra deserves to be singled out because of his dismissal. In picking up two bookings in quick succession, the Frenchman left his side facing an uphill battle to get anything from the game.
The left-back's second yellow came when he stepped across to block off the run of Roma substitute Juan Iturbe rather than let the winger get beyond him.
As revealed by OptaJean on Twitter, "Patrice Evra has picked up his first red card in a league game since August 2005, with Monaco v Auxerre."
To rub salt into Evra's wounds, he had barely made his way off the field by the time his side had conceded a second goal.
Winner: AS Roma's Title Hopes
5 of 6
AS Roma finished 17 points behind champions Juventus in the final standings last season.
While their win over the Bianconeri means nothing in terms of this year's title race, they have left their rivals with a bloody nose in the early rounds of what could be a long and arduous battle.
Giallorossi boss Rudi Garcia refused to get too carried away, telling Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia), "It is just the start of the season, so this type of performance indicates the path we need to follow. We hope to smile like this throughout the campaign. It’s a good start, for now."
However, it was hard not to be impressed by Roma's performance. Per WhoScored.com, they dominated possession and had 18 attempts at goal.
Meanwhile, the club announced prior to the game that winger Juan Iturbe will not be joining Genoa on loan. According to AS Roma's official website, sporting director Walter Sabatini had a change of heart over the deal.
Loser: Juventus and Massimiliano Allegri
6 of 6
Juventus find themselves without a point after defeats to Udinese and AS Roma in the opening two rounds of fixtures, leaving them with plenty to ponder during the international break.
According to Bwin on Twitter, they also set an unwanted record: "Juventus have lost their opening two Serie A matches for the first time in their history." They find themselves languishing down in 19th place in the table.
Head coach Massimiliano Allegri, though, is refusing to panic.
He told the club's official website, “I’m not worried about our zero points in the league, that’s something that can happen in football. Yes, we have to catch up, but we’ve got all the time and quality to do so. We need to remain calm, clearheaded and run through what didn’t work for us.”
It must be remembered that Juventus are still a work in progress following the departures of key players Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal during the summer.
But, as Bleacher Report's very own Adam Digby pointed out on Twitter, they are also currently hurt by injuries: "Absent trio for Juventus would transform this team beyond recognition. Forget Tevez, Pirlo and Vidal, give me Marchisio, Khedira and Asamoah!"
