Serie A is back! At last, the top Italian league is back on our screens, and there were no shortage of surprises from the first day, despite the fact that match-ups suggested a first round without any big shocks. This was not the case: defeat for Lazio, draw at home for Roma, all the other fancied instead won. Let's see what happened...!

PLAYER OF THE WEEK - ANDREA BELOTTI

He was the most awaited man at Roma, given the mandatory absences due to the disqualification of Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala, especially after last season, disappointing from every point of view with the meager haul of 0 goals scored in the league.

But in the first game of the new season, which he began as the undisputed starter, particularly because of general manager Tiago Pinto's delays in the transfer market (at the moment the number 11 is the only striker in the squad given Tammy Abraham's injury in June), Belotti scored not one but two goals. A double.

Despite his great performance, which finally brought back that player who had made the city of Turin and all the Granata fans fall in love with him for years, Roma were still stopped at 2-2 by Paulo Sousa's Salernitana.

What matters, however, is that "Il Gallo" returned to scoring and, above all, to smiling. While waiting for Duvan Zapata (he would seem to be the chosen one at Roma to replace Abraham), it is the best possible news for Roma fans and for Jose Mourinho. Belotti is back.

SURPRISE OF THE WEEK - LECCE STUN LAZIO

A result that really no one could have expected, except perhaps the Lecce fans, among the hottest in the league as always.

Maurizio Sarri's boys had taken the lead during the first half thanks to a goal from the usual Ciro Immobile, a solid goal machine in Serie A, in particular with the Lazio jersey, and the match seemed to be heading towards a victory for the visitors.

But with just under 10' to go, however, something changed and the game took a different path: first Pontus Almqvist and then Federico Di Francesco drove the stadium crazy and condemned Lazio to a resounding defeat. A surprising result not only because Lazio was ahead, but also because the Biancocelesti had approached this match after a smart and valid transfer market session, especially with Daichi Kamada.

For now, the impact of the new reinforcements was limited by the opponents, but this is less important than the result, the first of the season, which was immediately negative for Lazio. Of course no drama, the championship has just begun and the premises for Lazio's season are those of a year to be remembered for a long time. A misstep that was not needed, but nothing is lost. Positive signs from Immobile, meanwhile, Lazio's North Star.

TEAM OF THE WEEK - JUVENTUS

Off the radar, a summer lived with a low profile without any major deal in the market, but Juventus at the first opportunity, in the first match of the new season, responded with three points and a capital performance.

The opponent was not even a low-level one; on the contrary, it was Andrea Sottil's Udinese, which last year was one of the real revelations of the league for an extended amount of time.

After just a few minutes the game was already going downhill, with a piece of magic from long distance by Federico Chiesa, who with a precise and venomous right-footed shot put the ball into the net after a great assist from Dusan Vlahovic. The Serb was supposed to leave during the summer and instead remains at the centre of Max Allegri's attack. Then the doubling, signed by the Serbian striker himself, directly from a penalty kick: nothing to do for Marco Silvestri, Udinese's goalkeeper.

Before the end of the first half came the 3-0 goal, signed by Adrien Rabiot with a header. Juventus won and started their season in the best possible way, always far from the newspapers' radar. Let's see if Allegri is actually building something special.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK - PULISIC

He may be the real revelation of Serie A 2023-2024. Arriving from Chelsea, the American striker took very little time to become a major player in Serie A.

First a great play to start the action that put the Rossoneri ahead, with Olivier Giroud's (another former Chelsea) goal. A few minutes later, also during the first half, in direct combination with Giroud, Pulisic managed to find the way to the goal, his first in Serie A, with a finish that showed off all his ballistic qualities.

Perhaps underestimated by many after an unlucky and unhappy period at Chelsea, Pulisic from the point of view of pure talent is one of the top players now present in the Italian league. Milan is already enjoying the first special effects of its new striker, who has arrived to amaze and help win games - and lots of them.