BARI, Aug 19 (SW) - In the coastal city of Bari on the Adriatic Sea, beleaguered Juventus began the season with a 3 – 0 demolition of third division side Martina Franca in the first round of the Italian Cup.

Goals by Pavel Nedved and new signings Marco Marchionni and Valeri Bojinov gave the Turin giants a victory in their first competitive outing since they were relegated to the second division following the notorious match-fixing trial.

Ironically the match was played at Bari’s San Nicola Stadium, the ground at which they beat Reggina to claim their 29thj Serie A title, only to be stripped of that honour after the trial.

Midfielder Marchionni opened the scoring after seven minutes before long-range strikes by Bojinov and Nedved earned Juve a second-round meeting with Cesena.

Italy’s top clubs usually receive byes for the first three rounds of the competition before joining in at the last sixteen stage.

In recent years Juventus have sent out a second-string side in the Cup, saving their best players for Serie A and the Champions League. For this year, at least, this luxury appears unlikely.

Coach Didier Deschamps has identified the Cup, which guarantees a UEFA Cup place for the winner, as a way of accelerating the club's return to European competition.