Atalanta made a statement in their Serie A opener, demolishing Lecce 4-0 with a brace each from new signings Marco Brescianini and Mateo Retegui. The victory was all the more impressive given the absence of several key players for La Dea.
The game started with Lecce pressing high, but Atalanta gradually took control. Davide Zappacosta came close with a volley that narrowly missed the target, while Charles De Ketelaere's header was well saved by Wladimiro Falcone.
The breakthrough came in the 35th minute when Nikola Krstovic's poor attempt to launch a counter-attack allowed Zappacosta to whip in a cross for Retegui's header. Falcone parried the initial effort, but Brescianini reacted quickest to fire in the rebound for his dream debut. The midfielder, who only completed his transfer from Frosinone days prior, had been linked with Napoli just a week earlier.
Atalanta doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Ruggeri's cross found Retegui who headed the ball past a helpless Falcone.
Lecce attempted a comeback in the second half, but Falcone had to make a crucial save to deny Ederson, while Gendrey missed a free header. The game turned decisive when Lassana Coulibaly was penalised for a foul on Retegui after a VAR review. Retegui stepped up and calmly slotted home the penalty to complete his brace.
Brescianini also grabbed his second goal of the game, expertly finishing off a through ball from Mario Pasalic to seal the emphatic victory.
Despite the scoreline, Lecce remained persistent and almost pulled one back through Lameck Banda, but Juan Musso made a fine save to deny the substitute.
The resounding win will be a huge boost for Atalanta, who have endured a turbulent summer. Their new signings have proven to be immediate hits, and this dominant display will give them confidence for the rest of the season.
Lecce 0-4 Atalanta
Brescianini 35', 66' (A)
Retegui 45', pen 57' (A)
Lecce: Falcone; Gendrey, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Ramadani (Marchwinski 76), Pierret (Coulibaly 46); Morente (Banda 46), Rafia (M Berisha 83), Dorgu; Krstovic (Pierotti 68)
Atalanta: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, De Roon; Zappacosta (Godfrey 68), Ederson, Pasalic (Sulemana 89), Ruggeri; Brescianini (Palestra 89); De Ketelaere (Bakker 68), Retegui (Cassa 83)