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The 2021-22 season of Serie A kicked off last week and fans were treated to plenty of goals galore. Only two games over the weekend failed to produce more than two goals.
Inter Milan started off their title defense with a 4-0 win against Genoa and will hope to carry that momentum into their next game against Hellas Verona.
Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus, on the other hand, were held to a 2-2 draw by Udinese. Elsewhere, the likes of AC Milan, Napoli, Atalanta and Roma all won their opening fixtures to begin their Serie A campaign on a strong note.
On that note, here's a look at the best performers from the opening weekend of Serie A.
Top 5 players from GW 1 of Serie A
#5 Edin Dzeko (Inter Milan)
Edin Dzeko's Inter Milan career got off to an amazing start as he ran rings around the Genoa defense. The Bosnian has been a serial goalscorer in every league he's played in and showed that even at 35, he is still a huge threat to Serie A defenses.
Dzeko combined well with the likes of Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella and Stefano Sensi. His strength, movement and aerial prowess made him a nuisance to deal with, and he consistently found himself in goal-scoring positions.
The Bosnian assisted Calhanoglu for Inter's second goal of the game before scoring a trademark header in the 87th minute to make it 4-0 to the Nerazzurri. If Dzeko continues to play in this fashion, Inter will not feel the effects of Romelu Lukaku's departure.
#4 Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
It's hard to stop Paulo Dybala when he hits top gear The Argentine's 2020-21 season was marred by injury, but his display against Udinese in the first game of the new season showed he can still be world class.
The Argentine was at the heart of everything Juventus did on the night. Dybala opened the scoring early on with a precise finish past Marco Silvestri in the Udinese goal. Later on in the first-half, the Argentine found Juan Cuadrado with a sweeping long ball for the Colombian to make it 2-0.
Dybala's pace, movement and ability on the ball made him a constant menace to the Udinese backline. With Cristiano Ronaldo set to leave the club, the Bianconeri will now have to rely on Dybala more than ever if they want to win the Serie A title this season.
#3 Jordan Veretout (Roma)
Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout had a great opening game as he starred in his side's 3-1 victory over Fiorentina. The Frenchman is widely considered a goal-threat from midfield in Serie A and showed exactly why as he bagged a brace.
Veretout's positioning and movement are his biggest assets and they were on full display against Fiorentina. Both of his goals were mainly due to his movement, with Tammy Abraham and Eldor Shomurodov having the easy task of just finding the midfielder as he burst forward.
This performance showed just why Jose Mourinho was so keen to keep him at the club this summer. His display also earned him a call-up to the French national team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
#2 Lorenzo De Silvestri (Bologna)
It is rare for a right-back to get on the scoresheet, let alone bag a brace during a game. But that is exactly what Lorenzo De Silvestri did in Bologna's 3-2 victory over Salernitana.
The veteran defender helped his side overturn a 1-0 deficit with two commanding headers in the second half. Di Silvestri doubled his overall goal tally for Bologna with the two strikes and helped his side earn an important win.
Di Silvestri was also steady at the back. The defender won two duels, made four recoveries and registered three headed clearances as Bologna fought hard to keep their lead late on.
#1 Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
Inter Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu has taken to his new surroundings like a duck to water. The Turkish midfielder joined the Serie A club as a free agent earlier this summer, and it is clear why Simone Inzaghi wanted to bring him to the club.
The midfielder made an instant impact, socring a goal and providing an assist in Inter Milan's 4-0 win against Genoa. Calhanoglu was an absolute nightmare to deal with as he created five chances, including the assist for Milan Skriniar in the sixth minute of the game.
The Turkish midfielder also got on the scoresheet with a fine strike from outside the box in the 14th minute. His performance earned him the Serie A Player of the Week award and deservedly so.
