Argentine striker Carlos Tevez celebrates scoring Juventus' winner against Sampdoria at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Story highlights

Serie A season kicks off Saturday with champions Juventus beating Sampdoria

New signing Carlos Tevez scores the only goal for the away team

Promoted Verona cause big upset with 2-1 victory against AC Milan

It marks Verona's first match in the top flight for more than a decade

CNN  — 

Carlos Tevez marked his Juventus debut with the winning goal, but it was not enough to put the Italian champions top of Serie A after the opening day of matches.

That honor went to Verona following the promoted side’s shock 2-1 victory over AC Milan earlier Saturday.

However, Juve’s bid for a 30th scudetto began with few scares against the only team to have beaten the Turin side home and away last season.

Tevez, a $15 million arrival from English club Manchester City in preseason, started up front while fellow new forward signing Fernando Llorente was on the substitutes’ bench.

The Argentina international was denied a first-half goal by keeper Angelo Da Costa, who also saved from Kwadwo Asamoah’s header, but he made no mistake from close range in the 58th minute after being set up by Paul Pogba.

Read: Racist chants mar Serie A curtain-raiser

It was Tevez’s second goal for the club, having also netted in last Sunday’s 4-0 Italian Super Cup win over Lazio. That match was marred by racist chanting by some home fans, and as a result Lazio’s opening home match this season against Udinese will be played with a section of the stands closed.

Sampdoria had substitute Paolo Castellini sent off in time added on for a foul on Stephan Lichtsteiner.

Llorente was given a brief debut when he came on for Mirko Vicunic in the 89th minute, while Tevez gave way to Sebastian Giovinco.

Read: Death of Italian football exaggerated

Verona celebrated the end of the club’s 11-year wait for a top-flight match, as veteran former Italy striker Luca Toni headed two goals to defeat last season’s third-placed team Milan.

The seven-time European champions, held 1-1 by Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in last week’s Champions League qualifier, took the lead in the 14th minute when Mario Balotelli set up midfielder Andrea Poli.

However, Toni headed home a corner just before the half-hour mark and the 36-year-old repeated the feat from Bosko Jankovic’s cross in the 53rd minute.

Balotelli had two strong shouts for a penalty, but the Italy striker ended up with just a booking for his efforts after complaining bitterly when denied on the latter occasion.