Colombian striker Carlos Bacca scored a hat-trick to lead AC Milan to a narrow 3-2 win over Torino at the San Siro. The other Milan, Inter, got off to a terrible start under new manager Frank de Boer, losing 0-2 to AC Chievo Verona. Champions Juventus also got off to a winning start, but the match that stood out over the weekend was Lazio's 4-3 win against Atalanta.
Napoli began life after losing star striker Gonzalo Higuain in the worst possible manner against newly promoted Pescara, going behind by two goals before staging a comeback in the second half. The weekend of comebacks continued with Genoa scoring thrice in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Roma make a roaring start against Udinese
All the goals were scored in the second half of the game. Substitute Diego Perotti, with his lazy run-up, scored two penalties after coming on as a substitute. Late in the game Edin Dzeko got on the scoresheet, tapping in from the far post after Radja Nainggolan slipped in an excellent through ball from the right.
Higuain scores on league debut
The third-most expensive footballer in the world, Gonzalo Higuain netted the winner in the second half against Fiorentina to give Juventus a 2-1 win. Sami Khedira had scored a breathtaking header in the first half to put the Bianconeri in the lead. Despite hogging the ball for long spells and threatening inside the penalty area, they only had one goal to show for it.
Nikola Kalinic scored off a corner in the second half to silence the wayward home side. Higuain had the final say, picking up from where he left off last season, scoring 36 league goals. The Argentinian shot with his left foot from just inside the box.
Bacca nets first hat-trick of the season
Carlos Bacca scored the first hat-trick of the new season in a match that flowed back and forth. However, it was Milan's 17-year-old goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had the telling say in the game, saving a penalty in injury time to give his side a win.
Bacca grabbed his first off a diving header in the far post. Torino drew level with the hosts in the second half through Andrea Belotti. The Colombian striker showed great awareness in the box to latch onto a M'Baye Niang pass before giving the Rossoneri their lead. The third came through a penalty, which the 29-year-old striker struck right through the middle. Torino's Danielle Baselli scored in the first minute of injury time to give Milan a scare.
Lazio win 7-goal thriller
In the best game of the weekend, Lazio just about held on to protect their lead. It was all one-way traffic initially as the Biancocelesti shot to a 3-0 lead at half-time. Ciro Immobile, Wesley Hoedt and Cristiano Lombardi scored for the Rome outfit. Atalanta then found an unlikely source in teenaged central midfielder Frank Kessie, who pulled back two goals in no time.
Lazio regrouped and held on for the rest of the game, with Danilo Cataldi's strike in the final minute ensuring that there would be no fairytale comeback for Atalanta.
Frank de Boer's horror start with Inter
Acclaimed Dutch manager Frank de Boer had a start to forget as manager of the Inter Milan, as they were downed 0-2 by Chievo Verona. The Milanese side's defence lay in tatters in the second half of the game, with Valter Birsa scoring both goals. Mauro Icardi draw a blank in front of goal; the chances to score for the Nerazzuri was few and far between. De Boer took over the reins at the Milan club only two weeks ago.
Napoli survive Pescara scare
Belgian midfielder Dries Mertens saved Napoli the blushes, scoring two goals in the second half. Ahmed Benali and Gianluca Caprari scored in the first half to give the newly promoted side a 2-0 lead. Napoli came close through Jose Callejon. Mertens, who had come on as a second half substitute, curled a superb strike to the right corner. Three minutes later, the equaliser arrived. Last season's runners-up grew in confidence and almost scored five minutes from time through another substitute, Arkadiusz Milik. Pescara scraped through with a point.
The Results
- AC Milan 3 (Carlos Bacca 3) beat Torino 2 (Andrea Belotti, Danielle Baselli)
- AS Roma 4 (Diego Perotti 2, Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah) beat Udinese 0
- Pescara 2 (Ahmad Benali, Gianluca Caprari) drew with Napoli 2 (Dries Mertens 2)
- Atalanta 3 (Frank Kessie 2, Andrea Petagna) lost to Lazio 4 (Ciro Immobile, Wesley Hoedt, Cristiano Lombardi, Danilo Cataldi)
- Pescara 2 (Ahmad Benali, Gianluca Caprari) drew with Napoli 2 (Dries Mertens 2)
- Genoa 3 (Olivier Ntcham, Diego Laxalt, Luca Rigoni) beat Cagliari (Marco Borriello) 1
- Bologna 1 (Mattia Destro) beat Crotone 0
- Empoli 0 lost to Sampdoria 1 (Luis Muriel)
- Palermo 0 lost to Sassuolo 1 (Domenico Berardi)