Eurosport - Sat, 25 Aug 22:05:00 2007
David Trezeguet set the Bianconeri on their way with a fine header on the half-hour mark, before Vincenzo Iaquinta sealed the points with a penalty on 70 minutes.
Trezeguet then bagged two more to complete his hat-trick in the final five minutes, while Iaquinta added another, and Massimo Loviso grabbed a consolation for Livorno with the final kick of the game.
After a quiet start to proceedings, the first genuine chance of the game fell on 26 minutes to Trezeguet after a neat through ball from the excellent Pavel Nedved, though Marco Amelia saved well with his feet to deny the Frenchman.
He could do nothing three minutes later though, when Trezeguet rose well just outside the six-yard box, and glanced a downward header into the bottom right hand corner from Nedved's cross.
Amelia was called into action again before the break to deny Alessandro Del Piero from a well-struck free-kick, and then saved twice in quick succession from Sergio Almiron at the start of the second half.
Livorno's blew a big chance to bring themselves level with 20 minutes to go as Fausto Rossini headed over from Alessandro Grandoni's cross over when given the freedom of the Juve area.
Juventus' response was to go straight up the other end and grab a second, albeit in fortunate circumstances. There was more than a hint of theatrics when Iaquinta went to ground after a slight tug on his shirt, though the referee nonetheless pointed to the spot, and the Italian dusted himself down to tuck away the penalty.
Just as the game looked to be petering out to a predictable but dull conclusion, the Livorno defence went to pieces. First Nedved cut in from the right and saw a shot deflect into the far corner off Iaquinta, who claimed the goal, before Trezeguet raced through the middle and rifled a fine low shot past Amelia.
The Frenchman looked to have wrapped things up with a cheeky backheel after Amelia has spilled the ball on the goal-line, though it was Livorno who had the last word, with Loviso burying a fierce low drive into the bottom corner.
Lazio drew 2-2 with Torino on Saturday in an entertaining first game of the Serie A season.
Alessandro Rosina's perfect chip over 43-year-old goalkeeper Marco Ballotta gave visiting Torino the lead in a first half in which three players went off with injuries, including Lazio defender Mobido Diakite with a suspected broken leg.
Lazio, who visit Dinamo Bucharest in the second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round on Tuesday, equalised on 56 minutes when Goran Pandev lashed home having just had a goal dubiously ruled out for offside.
Fellow striker Tommaso Rocchi rifled past former Lazio keeper Matteo Sereni after a neat turn to put last season's third-placed team 2-1 up but Torino hit back on 68 minutes when the unmarked Tommaso Vailatti headed in at the far post.
Torino defender Gianluca Comotto was sent off late on for a second booking.
Juventus, back in the top flight after their demotion last year for match-fixing, host Livorno later on Saturday with the rest of the matches taking place on Sunday.
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