Italian champions Juventus yesterday came off worse in the grudge match against form side Roma and Fiorentina, the league leaders, crashed 4-2 at Piacenza on a day of upsets in Serie A.
The game at the Olympic stadium was the first between Roma and Juventus since Roma coach Zdenek Zeman insinuated that Juventus used drugs to build up Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluca Vialli, prompting legal action from the Turin club. Del Piero missed yesterday's match through injury.
Paulo Sergio opened the scoring in the 44th minute, chipping international goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi after a free-kick from Francesco Totti.
Juventus had Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero dismissed for elbowing Paulo Sergio in the face on the hour before Juventus's other Uruguayan, Daniel Fonseca, hit the post. Frenchman Vincent Candela scored Roma's second goal in the 87th minute.
The only consolation for the Italian champions was the upset for Fiorentina on an afternoon where much of the action came from the penalty spot.
Piacenza took the lead through Massimo Rastelli with their very first attack in the 12th minute, but Portuguese playmaker Manuel Rui Costa levelled for Fiorentina with a penalty for handball.
Piacenza were awarded a penalty in the 29th minute, won and converted by Simone Inzaghi, only for Edmundo to convert Fiorentina's second penalty of the match in the 40th minute.
But second-half goals from Paolo Cristallini and Giampiero Piovani brought up a remarkable victory for the Serie A strugglers.
Elsewhere, Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff scored two penalties in the first 20 minutes to set Inter Milan on their way to a 3-0 victory over Sampdoria.
Inter were without Ronaldo, who is being rested with a knee injury, but there was a return for Roberto Baggio at the start of the second half.
Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo was one of two men to score a hat-trick, securing Parma's 4-1 win over Udinese.
Venezia scored their first victory since promotion - a 2-0 win over Lazio, Brazilian striker Tuta and Francesco Pedone getting the goals.
Bologna continued their rise up the table as a hat-trick from former Lazio and Italian international star Giuseppe Signori earned them a 4-0 victory over Vicenza.
