Juventus's bid to make a speedy return to Serie A got off to a bad start when they were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Rimini on Saturday.
Italy's most successful club, who were ordered by a sports tribunal to start this season in the second-division Serie B on minus 17 points for their part in a match-fixing scandal, seemed on course for a win when they went ahead in the 60th minute through midfielder Matteo Paro.
Their grip on the contest appeared to tighten shortly afterwards when opposition midfielder Domenico Cristiano was sent off for a challenge on Pavel Nedved.
A defensive mix-up in the 74th minute allowed Adrian Ricchiuti to equalise however and the result left Juventus on minus 16 points.
Juventus's players will hope that the match in the east coast seaside resort does not prove to be a bitter taste of what awaits them up and down the country this season.
Rimini's tiny Romeo Neri stadium holds fewer than 10,000 spectators and it was packed by fans curious to witness Juve's first match in their history outside the top flight. On paper the contest was a mismatch.
While Rimini's workmanlike squad spent most of last season battling against relegation, Juventus's starting line-up boasted two World Cup winners -- goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and striker Alessandro Del Piero -- and former European Footballer of the Year Nedved.
Juventus dominated the first half, pushing Rimini back into their own half and forcing home keeper Samir Handanovic into a series of early saves.
Rimini made a brighter start after the interval. Buffon made a diving save to push Alessandro Matri's header round his post, but Juventus took a well-deserved lead when the home defence failed to clear a corner and Paro drilled in a low shot from the edge of the area.
Cristiano's sending-off seemed to kill off the contest, but when Robert Kovac scuffed a backpass Ricchiuti pounced on the loose ball, ran into the area and slid the ball coolly past Buffon.
I saw some of the game on Eurosport 2, Juventus were not all that impressive and might find life in Serie B harder than they had first imagined. 
