Matchday 1 | Lecce Grind Out a Win at Venezia

About this episode

Serie A and Serie B are officially back. Bottom Half Calcio breaks down the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season, from a scrappy win in Venice to a wild Serie B slate that saw all three relegated Serie A sides lose. Our match of the week is Lecce's gritty 2-0 win at newly-promoted Venezia, capped by a stunning header from substitute Tiago Gabriel. Elsewhere in the bottom half, Frosinone push Juventus but fall 1-0 in Randal Kolo Muani's Bianconeri debut, Inter shake off a scare from Monza to grab all three points, and Udinese share the spoils with Como in a battle of two new-look sides. Up top, Roma put on a Paulo Dybala masterclass to smash Fiorentina 4-0 at the Olimpico, while Max Allegri's Napoli era begins with a narrow win over Genoa on a contentious Kevin De Bruyne goal. Parma and Cagliari serve up a showcase for Serie A's next wave of Italian teenagers. Serie B delivers the chaos we love: Pisa, Cremonese and Hellas Verona, all three relegated from Serie A, lose their openers. Empoli edge Cremonese, Padova punish a howler from Pisa, and Ascoli hold on with ten men to stun Verona. Palermo, Mantova and Arezzo all pick up wins, and Sudtirol snatch a dramatic late goal down a man. From Lecce's grind in Venice to Serie B's relegated giants already stumbling, this episode sets the tone for a long, chaotic season in the Italian bottom half. Follow Bottom Half Calcio for weekly Serie A bottom-half and Serie B coverage. @bottomhalfcalcio 🎙️ Timestamps:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:25) Lecce Venezia(00:13:26) Parma Cagliari(00:38:48) Fiorentina Roma(00:56:18) Serie B