Serie A, Week 1: Calcio is back, but brings few surprises

Full match report here

Full match report here

While Rossi will remember his full Fiorentina debut fondly, Gomez may not, thanks to an incident in the 41st minute, when he managed to miss the goal despite it being harder to miss it than to score. Gomez hit the post after Rossi served him a perfect ball, leaving him all alone in front of the net. Gomez had few more misses in the second half, but luckily for Viola, it didn’t cost them points.

Goals: Rossi (14’), Pizarro (28’)

The elefanti will miss midfielder Sergio Almiron due to injury. Other than that, all of other players are available and even Maxi Lopez is among the 21 players called up, even though he is expected to leave the club before the end of transfer window.

Fiorentina injuries and suspensions:

Lazio came out of the blocks the faster of the two sides and Hernanes opened the scoring on 13 minutes. The Brazilian found space out wide and blasted a fierce shot past Ivan Kelava, beating the reserve goalkeeper at his near post.

Lazio: Marchetti; Cavanda, Novaretti, Cana, (Andre Dias 46) Radu; Candreva, Gonzalez, (Onazi 76) Biglia, Hernanes, Lulic; Klose (Floccari 82)

Higuaín went close from a free-kick after the restart, though curled it narrowly wide of the post. Bologna looked no better, with Rafael Benítez’s team suffocating the rossoblù by their control of possession. A third goal put the game beyond doubt shortly after the hour, when Pandev laid the ball off for an onrushing Hamšík to score from the edge of the box.

Goals: Callejón 32’, Hamšík 47’, 63’

Although chances were in short supply, Inter were playing with a freedom and energy that appeared to be lacking under Stramaccioni, the new manager Mazzarri clearly providing new emphasis for a side that looked incredibly weary under the previous regime.

It took a further 15 minutes for another chance to materialise, Jonathan Cicero, looking lively at right wing-back for Inter, was played into the area by Ricky Álvarez, the Brazilian’s shot from a tight angle flashing across the face of goal with nobody there to poke the ball home.

None known

Livorno: Francesco Bardi; Ceccherini, Emerson, Valentini; Mbaye, Greco, Duncan, Luci, Schiattarella; Paulinho, Dionisi

The teams continued in the same rhythm in the second half, with Italy’s best team dominating possession while Sampdoria patiently waited for a chance on the break. All it took for game to change is one brilliant Juventus move, which resulted in a Carlitos Tevez scoring his first goal on peninsula and 200th in career at club level.

It wasn’t a spectacular game, although heavy rain could in part be responsible for that. But it was kind of game that in the end win titles - tough away matches versus organized opponents. Juve surely weren’t spectacular but they did enough to win it, while Sampdoria didn’t show that much in attacking sense. Their few shots here and there and one glimpse of Gabbiadini’s talent could, in some situations, be enough for an uninspiring 0:0, but not today.

Napoli injuries and suspensions

Out: Blerim Džemaili, Pablo Armero (suspended). In doubt: Lorenzo Insigne.

In recent years, this fixture has gone the way of the home team. Udinese last won here back in May 2009, with Lazio running out comfortable 3-0 winners in last season’s corresponding fixture.

Lazio injuries and suspensions

Genoa also played in the Coppa Italia third round last weekend however their competitive season got off to a less than positive start. Faced with Serie B’s Spezia, the Grifone were on the brink of crashing out in normal time before Francesco Lodi’s equalising penalty four minutes into injury time. Extra time brought no further goals but the Serie B side managed to triumph in the penalty shootout, emerging 3-2 victors and handing Liverani his first competitive defeat, not a good starting point for the league season ahead.

Inter Milan injuries and suspensions

Doria also go into the record books as the only side Juventus failed to take points from last season, doing the double over the already-crowned champions on the final day of the season. However, that came at the tail end of a streak of ten winless matches -- not exactly the way Sampdoria want to start their season.

And Paul Pogba as a replacement player isn’t going to frighten anyone but the bianconeri opponents. In less than two minutes after stepping on as a sub against Lazio, the young midfielder turned, received a pass, turned again and fired straight into the back of the net, kicking off Juve’s Supercoppa rout. In other words, go ahead and put your money on the reigning champions.

Welcome back, boys and girls! It’s time to start the Serie A season and we’re doing it in style, with a Saturday match between Hellas Verona and Milan. The Bentegodi will see top flight football for the first time in...oh, oh wait. There’s that other team in Verona.

Anyway. This will be the Verona side’s first match in the top division since 2002. Over the past eleven years, the gialloblu managed to slip down into the third division, spending four seasons there before earning promotion. Hellas made the playoffs in the first season upon their return to Serie B, but needed an extra season before going up. Last year they finished top of the Serie B table, earning automatic promotion to Serie A.

It’s back! Serie A is back! The long, cold, lonely summer is finally over and football has returned. Hooray!

If you’re curious as to the individual changes occurring at each club, check out the SBN Italia previews. We’ve got transfers in and out, players to watch and our predictions on how each side will perform. But anything can happen in football, and that cliche seems to hold double in Italy -- so bring on the season!