After a long layoff that lasted for almost three months, Serie A is thankfully back on our screens, and the action kicked off with a thrilling weekend packed with goals and entertaining fixtures. Reminiscently to every other season, the fans and observers alike were particularly focused on the new players who were making their first appearances with their respective clubs. As expected, some of them couldn’t quite hit it on the first attempt, but others delivered the goods from the get-go. So here are the Top five players who impressed on their debut with their new Serie A clubs.
5- Felipe Anderson (Lazio)
Between 2013 and 2018, the Brazilian was one of the main stars of the Lazio show, before he completed a big-money move to the Premier League. Unfortunately for the winger, his stint at West Ham didn’t exactly go according to plan, and thus, he returned to the Italian capital in the hopes of reigniting his career.
Although some observers questioned his ability to integrate into Maurizio Sarri’s plans, the 28-year-old’s second debut with the Biancocelesti proved to be an encouraging one, contributing in his club’s first Serie A win of the season at the expense of Empoli.
Moreover, his astonishing assist on Sergei Milinkovic-Savic’s goal might just be the ultimate best piece of skill in the entire Italian weekend.
4- Mike Maignan (Milan)
First Serie A match, first win and first clean sheet. This is the story of Mike Maignan’s first appearance for Milan, as the Rossoneri earned 1-0 away win against Sampdoria, partially thanks to the goalkeeper’s impressive performance.
The Frenchman not only denied the opposition on some occasions with some decent saves, but more importantly, allowed Stefano Pioli’s side to build from back thanks to his brilliant footwork and neat passing.
Gianluigi Donnarumma might be one the best goalkeepers on the planet, but his replacement is proving to be an upgrade in some aspects of the game.
3- Edin Dzeko (Inter)
When Romelu Lukaku paid farewell Inter in favor of a return to Chelsea, the Italian champions were left without their driving force in attack.
Nonetheless, Edin Dzeko once again staked his claim as one of the elite target men in Serie A, with a brilliant debut against Genoa.
The Bosnian veteran scored a goal and provided an assist, proving that even at the age of 35, he’s still far from finished.
2- Tammy Abraham (Roma)
Whilst Dzeko looked impeccable in his Inter debut, his successor at Roma was arguably even more impressive in his first Serie A outing.
Even though the former Chelsea man didn’t score a goal himself, but he was a menacing presence José Mourinho’s side against Fiorentina, providing two sublime assists his teammates.
The fact that it was his very first match in a new league, and only few days after completing his transfer to the Italian capital lands him a high spot on this list.
1- Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter)
On Saturday evening, Inter opened their Serie A campaign with a 4-0 demolition of Genoa. Whilst the vast majority of Simone Inzaghi’s men did well against the Grifone, a certain debutant stole the headlines.
Hakan Calhanoglu provided the first assist of the Serie A campaign with a well-taken corner kick, and few minutes later, he grabbed a goal himself with a brilliant shot from the edge of the box, whilst generally looking particularly impressive on his Nerazzurri debut.
The Turkey international ran the show at the Giuseppe Meazza and looked at ease with his new club, while no one in the stadium seemed to mind the fact that he played four seasons for Inter’s crosstown rivals.
Well, that’s modern football for you.