These 5 strikers are lighting up Serie A
Week 20 of the Serie A season saw 33 goals scored across the league’s 10 matches. Long stereotyped as a defensive league, no game in week 20 finished with a 0-0 score line. On form and fueling attacking soccer, top-class strikers led fans through another exciting weekend of calcio. Now, […]
Week 20 of the Serie A season saw 33 goals scored across the league’s 10 matches. Long stereotyped as a defensive league, no game in week 20 finished with a 0-0 score line. On form and fueling attacking soccer, top-class strikers led fans through another exciting weekend of calcio. Now, with just over half the season gone, we look at the top five in form strikers plying their trade in Serie A.
Gonzalo Higuain – Napoli
20 goals in 20 matches
Higuain has long been seen as one of the premier strikers in Europe. However, this season under Maurizio Sarri, Higuain has found the form of a lifetime. Twenty goals in 20 games leads all strikers in Serie A and makes Higuain ideal for fantasy football managers around the world.
Higuain has already bested his output in his two previous campaigns with Napoli (2013/14, 17 goals; 2014/15, 18 goals), and he is on target to top his best season with Real Madrid (2009/10, 27 goals). His two strikes in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Sassuolo strengthened Napoli’s title credentials, keeping the Partenopei two points ahead of Juventus.
If Higuain’s form continues, there is no reason Napoli won’t be able to lift the Scudetto in May. Nor is there any reason he shouldn’t be shortlisted for the next Ballon d’Or.
Paulo Dybala – Juventus
11 goals in 19 matches
Paulo Dybala arrived last summer with a hefty price tag, €32 million. Since then, the Argentine has done his best to make Juventini forget all about Carlos Tevez.
A strong dribbler and just adapt at setting up teammates as he is scoring, Dybala has been the complete package for Juventus as the Turin club have soared up the table. During his team’s run of 10 straight Serie A victories, Dybala has scored eight times, including a brace in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Udinese. Making Dybala even more dangerous has been the addition of his five assists during those 10 matches, running his season total to seven for the season.
Although Juventus’ success hasn’t been solely down to the Argentine, it wouldn’t have been as brilliant without him.
SEE MORE: Midterm report – Juventus surge lands holders in wide-open title race.
Leonardo Pavoletti – Genoa
10 goals in 13 matches
Pavoletti burst onto the scene 12 months ago at Genoa, and ever since, has made the club’s No. 9 position his own. Ten goals from 13 games, including Sunday’s brilliant bicycle-kick goal to round off Genoa’s 4-0 drubbing of Palermo, has kept the club’s head above the relegation zone this term. One goal every 99 minutes has Pavoletti knocking on the door of Antonio Conte’s Italian national team as well.
Without Pavoletti’s goals, Genoa would be mired in a relegation scrap, more so than they currently are. The striker’s brilliant form will need to continue if the Grifone are to ward off the drop.
Carlos Bacca – AC Milan
9 goals in 20 games
Carlos Bacca’s nine goals in 20 games may not sound too impressive. However five goals in his last seven games in all competition, has Bacca recalling his best form from his time with Sevilla.Currently Milan’s leading scorer, Bacca’s form has the Rossoneri up to sixth; still capable of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, Although the Europa League maybe more likely.
Other than Bacca, the Milan giants have no other striker hitting form. Luiz Adriano is heading to China after only a few months playing for Milan, while Mario Balotelli has made only five appearances. Bacca’s signing brought a lot of expectations back to the once great Milan team. His current form maybe just the beginning of big things to come for the club.
Eder – Sampdoria
11 goals in 18 matches
Sampdoria’s Eder was controversially called up to the Italian national team in 2015, qualifying for Italian citizenship via his great-grandfather. That call-up was a reward for the striker’s form, which hasn’t waned since being added to the Azzurri. Five goals in his first three Serie A games of the season, Eder has Sampdoria fans expecting another top of the table finish. Despite a coaching change, Eder’s form has been steady while Sampdoria have tried to stabilize the ship. Currently in 14th, the Blucerchiati have plenty of talent to prevent finishing in the bottom three. Without his 11 goals, Sampdoria would be far worse off, and if the Azzurri want to get out of the group stages in next summer’s European Championships, they will need an on form Eder to help get them into the later rounds.
