Serie A Matchday 1 Round-up – Inter impress, Jose wins & red cards galore
Serie A made its long-awaited return to our TV screens over the weekend and boy, it did not disappoint!
While those of a Bianconeri persuasion are lamenting the antics of a certain goalkeeper following their deflating 2-2 draw against Udinese, thrills and spills were aplenty across Calcio in what was an enthralling – and red card heavy – opening weekend of action.
Here’s a summary of what transpired across Serie A on Matchday 1.
The champions purr
Inter embarked on their annual Genoa beatdown in their season-opener as new manager Simone Inzaghi got off the perfect start after succeeding Antonio Conte in the summer.
Milan Skriniar continued from where he left off last season as he netted the early opener with a thumping header before Hakan Calhanoglu opened his Inter account with a trademark strike from distance to give the champions a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes.
The Nerazzurri were imperious throughout, but they’d have to wait until the 74th minute to score their third, which came through an unlikely source in Arturo Vidal. The superb Edin Dzeko then put the icing on a perfect performance by heading home Vidal’s cross for the fourth.
It was a statement of intent from Inter, who’ll certainly be a tough outfit to usurp as champions despite their summer exodus. As for Genoa, the signs are ominous. Their lack of a bona fide goalscorer could see them slide into the relegation battle. Juventus loanee Nicolo Rovella, however, was a bright spark.
Victories for the contenders
It was club-record signing Tammy Abraham who stole the show as the Jose Mourinho era got off to a winning start in Rome. While Abraham failed to get on the scoresheet, the striker notched a pair of assists and had a huge hand in the dismissal of Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski in Roma’s 3-1 victory.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Mourinho’s men. La Viola were dominant in spells despite their man disadvantage and deservedly pegged the hosts back following Nicolo Zaniolo’s second yellow card as Nikola Milenkovic scored. Life certainly looks bright for Fiorentina with the impressive Vincenzo Italiano at the helm.
Simultaneously, Luciano Spalletti got off to a winning start as Napoli boss despite Victor Osimhen’s early – and harsh – red card against Venezia. A Lorenzo Insigne penalty and Elif Elmas strike in the second half were enough for the Neapolitans to ease to a 2-0 triumph over the newly-promoted side.
On Saturday, Atalanta overcame Torino 2-1 thanks to a Roberto Piccoli tap-in right at the death. Earlier, Andrea Belotti’s deflected effort had cancelled out Luis Muriel’s opener. Things were a little easier for Lazio, meanwhile, who sauntered to a 3-1 victory over last season’s Serie B champions Empoli. Maurizio Sarri’s side fell a goal behind early on but three first-half goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Manuel Lazzari and Ciro Immobile put the game beyond the hosts’ reach.
The opening weekend’s final game saw AC Milan edge past Sampdoria 1-0 at the Marassi. An early Brahim Diaz goal was enough for the Rossoneri to walk away with all three points, as Mike Maignan impressed between the sticks on his competitive debut.
Low-key thrillers
A pair of new managers pitted their wits against one another on Saturday evening as Sassuolo edged Hellas Verona in a five-goal thriller. Alessio Dionisi’s Sass took the lead thanks to a bit of Giacomo Raspadori magic before Miguel Veloso received his marching orders for a stamp on Filip Djuricic, who went on to bag the visitors’ second.
Hamed Traore then scored either side of a Mattia Zaccagni brace (his second was delightful) to ensure Sassuolo started the Manuel Locatelli-less era with a victory.
Salernitana gave a great account of themselves on their Serie A return despite falling to a 3-2 defeat in a frantic back and forth contest with Bologna. All five goals were scored in a chaotic 15-minute period as three red cards were dished out between the two sides. Marko Arnautovic was also among the goals for Bologna.
Finally, an injury-hit Spezia coped admirably away at Cagliari to earn a 2-2 draw. The visitors took a 2-0 lead before being pegged back by a Joao Pedro brace in the second half.
What’s next in Serie A?
Matchday 2 gets underway on Friday night with a pair of fixtures. First, Udinese host Venezia before the champions visit Hellas Verona.
Unfortunately, there’s a real lack of ‘blockbuster’ fixtures in Serie A over the weekend. Roma’s trip to Salernitana on Sunday night will be an intriguing watch, while Sassuolo vs Sampdoria looks like an evenly-poised clash. Elsewhere, Juventus host Empoli on Saturday night, Lazio take on Spezia, Napoli visit Genoa, while Milan and Atalanta play host to Cagliari and Bologna respectively.