In the end, the Lecce footballers turned the match against Lazio Rome around, defeating the vice-champion 2:1

AS Roma v Salernitana Italian Football League 1st round match, August 20, 2023. AS Roma's Andrea Belotti (right) scores a goal.

Rome – Lecce turned their Italian football league opening round match against runners-up Lazio Rome within two minutes to win 2-1. Pontus Almqvist and Federico Di Francesco came through. Juventus decided the match at Udine during the first half. The home team hasn't beaten the “Old Lady” in over 13 years. AS Roma drew 2:2 with Salernitana for the second time in a row, the match was directed by the scorers Andrea Belotti and Antonio Candreva. Thanks to a productive finish, Bergamo won 2:0 at Sassuola, Charles De Ketelaere scored the winning goal on his debut.

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The score of the match between Lecce and Lazio was opened in the 26th minute by the long-time mainstay of the guests Immobile, his finish in the slide marked the 200th league goal for the Italian gunner. He could have scored his third goal at the end of the match, but his shot only bounced off the goalkeeper's leg and into the post. In the first match for Lecce, Almqvist scored from behind the goal and two minutes later, after a mistake in the goal, decided the game for the home team Di Francesco.

Juventus is doing well against Udine, which was shown right from the beginning of the match. After two minutes, Chiesa broke through with a beautiful shot, and in the 20th minute the guests already led by two goals: Vlahovič added a goal from the penalty spot after Lovrič's hand in the penalty area to the assist. American striker Weah, who came from Lille before the season, made his first competitive appearance for Juventus. Juventus' dominance in the first half was confirmed by Rabiot's header in the setup.

AS Rím striker Belotti didn't score a single goal in 31 league matches last season after arriving from Turin, scoring exactly two goals in the opening round of this season. Candreva responded to his first with two goals at the end of the first and the beginning of the second half. In the end, Salernitan's fighting performance did not lead to three points, in the 82nd minute Belotti equalized with a header from a corner kick.

Just like Belotti, De Ketelaere failed to make his mark last season. AC Milan sent him on a one-year loan to Bergamo, for which he scored in the opening match. His header gave Atalanta the win at Sassuola. Zortea, who returned to Bergamo from a loan spell with the opposing team before the season, confirmed the three-point win for the visitors with the second goal.

Results of the 1st round of the Italian Football League

AS Rome – Salernitana 2: 2 (17. and 82. Belotti – 36. and 49. Candreva), Sassuolo – Bergamo 0:2 (83. De Ketelaere, 90.+3 Zortea), Lecce – Lazio Rome 2:1 (85. Almqvist, 87. Di Francesco – 26. Immobile), Udine – Juventus Turin 0:3 (2. Chiesa, 20. Vlahovič from pen., 45. +3 Rabiot).