Serie A has avoided a goalless draw in its opening two rounds, with at least one goal scored in each of the 20 matches played so far.
The statistic has been welcomed by the Italian press, which has highlighted the attacking start to the new league campaign. Although six of those matches produced only one goal, every fixture has still offered spectators something on the scoresheet.
That represents a clear improvement on the corresponding stage of last season. The first match of the previous Serie A campaign, between Genoa and Lecce, ended 0-0, setting an immediately more cautious tone.
Goalless draws then continued to appear regularly during the opening weeks of that season. Until the 12th round, at least one match across each weekend finished without a goal. On some occasions there was more than one 0-0 draw in the same round, including the 11th round.
This season’s opening 20 matches have therefore provided a notably different pattern. While six games have been decided by a single goal, none has ended with both sides failing to score.
According to derbyderbyderby.it, the change may be partly linked to the approach being encouraged among Italian referees. Officials have been advised to interrupt play less frequently and allow footballers to continue rather than whistle for every possible infringement.
The guidance is intended to reflect what is described as a more European style of refereeing, with greater emphasis on keeping matches flowing. That approach could be contributing to the absence of goalless draws, although the first two rounds alone do not establish whether the trend will continue throughout the campaign.
For now, the figures offer Serie A a positive early narrative. Twenty matches have been completed, and all 20 have contained at least one goal. The contrast with last season is particularly striking: a competition that had already produced a 0-0 draw in its opening fixture went on to record at least one goalless game on every weekend through the 12th round.
The current run is not necessarily a guarantee of a more open season overall, but it does mark a sharp difference from the start of the previous campaign. Six narrow, one-goal matches show that the league has not abandoned tight contests, yet every fixture has avoided the result most associated with a completely scoreless afternoon.
With two rounds gone, the simple fact being celebrated in Italy is that Serie A has yet to produce a 0-0 draw.
