DREAM TEAM 22' - SERIE A

Michael Nardi

With Serie A's conclusion being a little over a month away I thought it would be the perfect time to look at my team of the season for the Serie A.

Formation 3-4-3 managed by Luciano Spalletti

Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan-AC Milan

Maignan has been exceptional for Milan this season while taking over for the departing Donnarumma, making for some unbelievable business from the likes of Paolo Maldini. At the age of 26, Maignan is the definition of a modern goalkeeper in part due to his excellent distribution, long kicking, dealing with dangerous crosses, and sweeping outside his penalty box. Milan can now have their wide players sit higher up the pitch because of Maignan’s kicking range. Maignan has 11 clean sheets in 24 appearances for the red and white during their push towards a Scudetto.

3 Centrebacks: Fikayo Tomori- AC Milan, Milan Skrinair- Inter Milan, and Bremer- Torino

Similar to Maignan, Tomori is a perfect example of today’s modern centreback, possessing every attribute you want in a defender and some. Tomori has taken the next step in developing his game and has become a defender who rarely makes a wrong step. He has cemented his place in Milan alongside Simon Kjær and the emerging Pierre Kalulu. Some key stats this season for Tomori include nine clean sheets and 2.3 tackles per game.

On the other side of the pitch, Milan Skrinair has been a cornerstone in both Conte and Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 as the two managers witness his skill level improve annually. This year however, Skrinair has reached his peak. The best of Inter’s backend, Skrinair is a no-nonsense defender with underrated ball progression ability. Inzaghi’s freedom in possession has allowed Skrinair to drive into the midfield to progress play and even remain upfront at times. He has been immense for Interall season long, a trait that is especially noticeable when he’s not on the pitch. To simply put it, he has attributes other defenders do not possess.

Bremer as my third defender is a bold choice with the defensive depth within the league, however Bremer has been remarkable for the Granata all season long. Torino manager Ivan Juric continues to produce top defenders with his system as Bremer follows Roma’s Marash Kumbulla and Napoli’s Amir Rrahmani as the next top defender. I believe Bremer has a higher ceiling than the previous pair, as he is a defender that will deliver no matter the task. Juric using him as Torino’s aggressive center-back in his 3-4-2-1 formation has allowed him to display top performances against the league's best attackers. Holding the likes of Vlahovic, Immobile, Abraham, and Oshimien to only three open play goals against is a facet of his game that flies under the nose of the average Italian spectator.

Midfield pivot: Sergej Milinkovic Savic- Lazio and Manuel Locatelli- Juventus

Savic is one of the most highly sought-after midfielders in all of Europe simply because of his comparable abilities to Paul Pogba. Savic has made the transition to Maurizio Sarri's system seamlessly when his responsibilities on the attacking front have increased. Savic is the heartbeat for Lazio, playing almost every game and putting up numbers in the process. His physical presence alongside a superb technical skill for his height has him among the league's best. This season he has scored nine goals and assisted just as many from the midfield- the best tally of any Serie A midfielder.

Manuel Locatelli is Juve’s midfield compressed in just one player. He is dynamic with incredible vision and can provide goals when in an advanced role. He has shown consistently throughout the season alongside a team that struggles to maintain possession like Juve tends to do. In a possession-based team such as his time at Sassuolo and Italy in the Euro's, that is when the best version of Locatelli will shine. He is only scratching the surface currently. Locatelli is a player where goals or assists are not his deciding factor, how he keeps the team ticking in each game is his greatest asset.

Wingbacks: Theo Hernandez- AC Milan and Antonio Candreva- Sampdoria

Milan’s best creator comes from the left-back position and that is down to Theo Hernandez’ constant running up the flanks. His explosive pace and quick dribbling are impossible to stop, especially with his driving runs towards the inside channel. You will not find a player as dynamic as Theo Hernandez, he is simply a maverick in the way he plays. He has goals, assists, direct running, and physicality all his game, ranking among the world’s best left-backs, and will be a definite starter for France in Qatar for the upcoming World Cup.

This may shock some people considering the position Sampdoria is in, however, Candreva has been remarkable; A player who’s always had plenty of natural quality, especially during his time at Lazio. His time at Inter was forgettable but now with Sampdoria, he has returned to his Lazio form. With seven goals and eight assists, he's been a bright spot for his side all season long and more importantly, a grande pin throughout their ongoing fight to avoid relegation. Even at the age of 35, he continues to be excellent in progressing as well as carrying the ball into the final third; and his goal return is matching this terrific form.

Attack: Raphael Leao- AC Milan, Domenico Berrardi- Sassuolo and Ciro Immobile- Lazio

Leao is finally having his breakout season for Milan and his performances are making their way across Europe, especially for his national team. Leao was always a player in possession of incredible potential but lacked consistency. He's now a player who matured under the guidance of Stefano Pioli and is playing the best football of his career. A natural winger, Leao is quick, explosive, and can beat his man one-on-one with ease, making one of the hardest players to stop in Serie A. Him and Theo Hernandez make up an incredible duo on the left side for Milan for years to come.

Berardi has finally seen his loyalty pay off by hitting the 100 goal mark in Serie A just a few weeks ago. He is part of the most underrated attack force in Italy for Sassuolo and has been fantastic this season, leading all players in goals combined with assists at 25. He is efficient and plays a very simple game, making him one of the best wingers in Italy—with his left foot being deadly from outside the area. Sadly his performance against North Macedonia in World Cup Qualifying will leave an irreversible mur atop an impressive Serie A career.

Ciro Immobile rounds out this team upfront, as typical Ciro is among the league leaders in goals deep into the Serie A campaign. 21 for Lazio this season, he continues to cement his legacy for the squad as one of the greatest strikers and even greatest players as the years go by. He has transitioned perfectly to the 4-3-3 and has been able to adapt his game under Sarri to a more complete striker. Linking plays better and the overall position in the build-up phase has improved from the Italian marksman. However, similar to Berardi if not worse, Ciro will be scapegoated for Italy’s failure in failing to qualify for the World Cup.

Bench: Giacomo Raspadori, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sandro Tonali, Giovanni Simeone, Gianluca Caprari, Mattia Zaccagni, Ruslan Malinovsky, Marcelo Brozovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Tammy Abraham, and Paulo Dybala