Record-breaking Napoli marksman Osimhen spearheads Serie A Team of the Season
Napoli were crowned champions for the first time in over 30 years lifting their first Scudetto since 1989/90 after winning by a comfortable 16 point margin over second place Lazio.
We run through the best XI in Serie A, where Napoli dominate the side with four players, Lazio have three representatives, Juventus with two and both Empoli and Inter have one a piece.
Despite finishing runners up in Serie A, it was a very positive season for Lazio who achieved their highest league finish since the 1999/2000 season in which they won the league under Sven Goran Eriksson. A key to that success was their strength in defense, and in particular, the performances of their goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. He kept at least five more clean sheets in Serie A than any other keeper (21) from his 38 league appearances for Lazio this season with a percentage of 55%.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli) – 7.04
The first of four Napoli representatives is Giovanni Di Lorenzo with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.04. Napoli were only beaten four times in the league this season and their defensive stability certainly played a fundamental role in their success. No team conceded fewer goals than the side from Naples (28). The right-back was awarded the WhoScored Man of the Match award on five occasions this season, with only Kvaratskhelia winning more (7).
The second player from the Champions to feature in the side is Kim Min-Jae. He finishes the season, not only with a winners medal, but as the highest rated defender in the league. He has been astute on the ball making more accurate passes (2547) than any other player in Serie A this season with a 91% pass success rate, a total which was only beaten by teammate Stanislav Lobotka’s 94% rate (30+ apps).
It has been a whirlwind season for Juventus with points deductions hampering their chances in Serie A. The Old lady ended up in seventh position with the third highest number of wins in the league (22). Danilo had a strong season and only Cristante made more successful tackles (113) than the Brazilian’s 92. He is Juve’s second highest performer with a WhoScored rating of 7.04.
Fabiano Parisi (Empoli) – 6.93
Empoli ended the season in 14th position but their stand-out player of the season, Fabiano Parisi, has done enough to warrant a spot in the top XI. He has been crucial in breaking up play for Empoli and only Sassuolo’s Jeremy Toljan blocked more crosses (25) than Parisi (23). He also chipped in with two goals in his 33 league appearances.
Felipe Anderson (Lazio) - 7.09
The second of Lazio’s representatives in this best XI is Felipe Anderson. The Brazilian featured in every Serie A game for Runners Up Lazio scoring nine goals and contributing two assists. However, it’s not just his attacking stats that have led to his inclusion, he’s also been solid in defense too with only Roma’s Bryan Cristante attempting more tackles (149) in the league than Felipe Anderson (135).
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio) – 7.24
The third and final Lazio representative is Serbian Midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic with a WhoScored rating of 7.24. He received the third highest rating of any player in Serie A this season, registering nine goals and eight assists on Lazio’s way to a second place finish.
Adrien Rabiot (Juventus) – 7.11
Adrien Rabiot is attracting prying eyes from all over Europe and it’s not hard to see why after the Midfielder had another strong season. The Frenchman chipped in with eight goals and four assists, winning the MoTM award on three occasions for Juventus and ends the season as their Player of the Season according to his WhoScored rating of 7.11.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli) – 7.43
Napoli’s Kvaratskhelia has proven a nuisance for defenses all season, and only AC Milan’s Rafael Leao completed more successful dribbles (77) in Serie A than the Georgian. He is the only player in the league to hit double figures for assists and goals with 10 and 12 respectively. Not only that, the 22-year-old received more WhoScored Man of the Match awards than any other player with seven.
Victor Osimhen (Napoli) - 7.45
League champions Napoli scored more goals in Serie A than any other side (77) and Victor Osimhen contributed to 30 of them, scoring on 26 occasions with a conversion rate of 25% for the Nigerian. The frontman has impressed all season and has taken 50 more touches in the opposition box than any other player in the league as well as topping the charts for total shots (135) and shots on target (55). It’s been a truly remarkable season for Osimhen and he is the Serie A Player of the Season with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.45.
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) – 7.18
Inter Milan’s only player to make the Team of the Season is Lautaro Martinez. Only Victor Osimhen (26) scored more goals than the Argentinian’s 21 and Martinez chipped in with 30% of Inter’s total goals scored this campaign. He also contributed six assists, with no Inter players recording more, and ranked fourth in the league for key passes with a total of 46.
