Venezia are back in Serie A after a season in the wilderness, and they open at home in front of their own fans at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo. That is a serious weapon. The lagoon city will be bouncing, the stands are tight to the pitch, and the atmosphere will be hostile for Lecce. Venezia come into this off the back of a Coppa Italia run that saw them dump out Mantova and Hellas Verona last season as the last Serie B side standing. That tells you everything about their cup mentality, but league openers are a different beast. Still, there is momentum here. They have spent the summer preparing for exactly this moment, and the brief shows they are set to start their league campaign at home to Lecce next weekend. That is the game they have been pointing at.

Lecce, meanwhile, are the ultimate survivors. Under Eusebio Di Francesco, they have made a living out of staying up, and last season they did it again, avoiding the drop after successive relegations with Frosinone and Venezia. That is a manager who knows how to grind out results, but it also means his teams are built to defend, not to thrill. On the road, Lecce are usually compact, hard to break down, and happy to take a point. But this is the first game of the season, and Di Francesco's side have not shown any pre-season form in the brief. We know they will be organised, but we do not know if they have the legs or the sharpness to match Venezia's hunger. Home advantage in round one is massive, and Venezia will smell blood.