Atalanta (ATN) will take on Lazio (LAZ) in an enthralling Serie A 2021-22 encounter at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia in Bergamo on Saturday, October 30. The game will kick off at 6:30 PM IST.

Under the tutelage of Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta have secured five wins, three draws and suffered two defeats in 10 Serie A matches this season. With 18 points from 10 games, Atalanta are placed fifth in the standings and one point behind fourth-placed AS Roma.

Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio have also been inconsistent with their form, managing just five victories in 10 league matches so far. With just one point behind Atalanta in the sixth position, the Biancocelesti are currently fighting for a spot in Serie A’s top four.

ATN vs LAZ Dream11 Prediction

Lazio hold a superior head-to-head record against Atalanta in Serie A, winning 18 of the 38 matches that they have played so far. Atalanta have managed 11 victories while nine matches have ended in a draw. The previous meeting between these two sides took place in January as Lazio claimed a 3-1 win. However, going by recent form and home advantage, Atalanta will have a slight edge over Lazio on Saturday. 

ATN vs LAZ Dream11 team tips for Serie A 2021-22

Top tip: Best forward

Ciro Immobile has been in sensational form for Lazio in the ongoing Serie A season. The 31-year-old striker has already netted eight goals in nine matches in the league and has been the standout player for the Rome-based club. Immobile is tipped to add to his goal-scoring tally against Atalanta at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.

Top tip: Best midfielder

Among the quality midfielders on display, one must pick Lazio’s Sergej Milinković-Savić in your fantasy team. The 26-year-old Serbian international has been one of the best midfielders in the top tier of the Italian league, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists in 32 Serie A matches last season. Milinković-Savić has scored three goals as well as provided four assists and will once again be instrumental for Lazio against a strong Atalanta outfit.

Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper

José Luis Palomino has been one of the standout players for Atalanta in Serie A 2021-22. Under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, Palomino has established himself in the starting XI and recovered the most balls (77) in the first seven league matches.

For the goalkeeper spot, Atalanta custodian Juan Musso will be the preferred choice over veteran Pepe Reina of Lazio. Musso has impressed everyone since his move from Udinese this summer. The 27-year-old recently made some decisive saves against Manchester United in a UEFA Champions League tie to keep his team in the game.

ATN vs LAZ probable playing XI

ATN probable XI (3-4-2-1): Juan Musso (goalkeeper); Marten de Roon, José Luis Palomino, Matteo Lovato; Joakim Maehle (captain), Teun Koopmeiners, Remo Freuler, Davide Zappacosta; Ruslan Malinovskyi, Mario Pasalic; Duván Zapata.

LAZ probable XI (4-3-3): Pepe Reina (goalkeeper); Manuel Lazzari, Luiz Felipe, Francesco Acerbi, Adam Marusic; Luis Alberto, Danilo Cataldi, Sergej Milinković-Savić; Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile (captain), Pedro

Featured photo: MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

Lazio will lock horns with AS Roma in the first Rome derby of the Serie A 2021-22 season at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, September 26. The Derby della Capitale will kick off at 9:30 PM IST.

Under star manager Jose Mourinho, Roma have showcased their title credentials, winning four of the five matches this season. With 12 points from five games, Roma are currently fourth in the points table and are three points behind league leaders Napoli.

On the other hand, Lazio are winless in their last three games and have struggled for form since their 6-1 thrashing of Spezia. Maurizio Sarri’s side are currently placed seventh in the standings with eight points from five matches.

LAZ vs ROM Dream11 Prediction

Roma are ahead on the overall head-to-head record against Lazio having won 67 times. Meanwhile, Lazio have secured 47 victories and there have been 62 draws. Going by current form, Mourinho’s Roma are expected to bag maximum points against a struggling Lazio outfit.

LAZ vs ROM Dream11 team tips for Serie A 2021-22

Top tip: Best forward

While Lazio have struggled as a team in the ongoing edition of Serie A, their star forward Ciro Immobile has continued his dominance in the Italian league. The 31-year-old is currently the leading goal-scorer in Serie A 2021-22 with six goals and is likely to trouble the Roma defence in the derby on Sunday.

Top tip: Best midfielder

Jordan Veretout has been one of the standout performers for Mourinho’s AS Roma this season. Veretout became the first French midfielder to score at least 10 Serie A goals in a season since legend Michel Platini for Juventus in 1985�?6. The former Aston Villa midfielder has continued his incredible form and has already netted three goals this season. He will be the midfielder to watch out for in the upcoming derby.

Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper

Lazio’s Francesco Acerbi was one of the best defenders in Serie A 2020-21, making 2.5 interceptions per match. Known as a hard tackler, Acerbi needs to be at his very best to stop an in-form AS Roma side. 

For the goalkeeper spot, one must pick Rui Patricio of Roma over Lazio’s Pepe Reina. Since making his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, Patricio has already made some decisive saves to help his side secure valuable points in the five matches that he has played in the league so far. 

LAZ vs ROM probable playing XI

LAZ probable XI (4-3-3): Pepe Reina; Manuel Lazzari, Luis Felipe, Francesco Acerbi, Elseid Hysaj; Luis Alberto, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Danilo Cataldi; Pedro, Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile

ROM probable XI (4-2-3-1): Rui Patricio; Rick Karsdorp, Gianluca Mancini, Roger Ibanez, Ricardo Califiori; Bryan Cristante, Jordan Veretout; Nicolo Zaniolo, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Carles Perez; Tammy Abraham

Featured photo: Vincenzo PINTO / AFP

Since the arrival of former Manchester City and Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, the Italy national football team has transfigured from a motley crew of aged players to a youthful squad with the right balance of experience that has a definite answer to the question - is Italy a good football team?

Mancini’s men are unbeaten in 27 games and have lost just twice under the tutelage of the 56-year-old. In the European qualifiers, gli Azzurri won 10 consecutive games, breaking Vittorio Pozzo’s record of most consecutive wins as head coach of Italy (nine wins).

Furthermore, Italy registered 11 straight wins (10 Euro qualifying wins and one international friendly win against the USA). Thus, while they finished the qualifying campaign with a 100 percent record, Italy had comfortably qualified for Euro 2020 with three matches to spare.

Italy are back #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/FTFB8evlOo

�?UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) October 13, 2019

Seven players from the last edition of the Euros - including skipper Giorgio Chiellini - make up Italy’s final 26-man squad. With an average age of 27.3 years and a surfeit of midfielders still in the prime of their careers, the Italians are pegged as winners of Group A, which includes Switzerland, Turkey, and Wales.

Italy squad for Euro 2020

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alex Meret, Salvatore Sirigu

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Emerson Palmieri, Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Spinazzola, Rafael Toloi

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Stefano Sensi, Marco Verratti

Forwards: Andrea Belotti, Domenico Berardi, Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Giacomo Raspadori

SWOT analysis of Italy’s Euro 2020 squad

Strength

Italy’s biggest strength going into the Euro 2020 is their rich reserve of young talents, who have clocked approximately 5,300 minutes of football action while in the under-25 bracket. The likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Federico Chiesa, and Nicolo Barella are the future of Italian football and can anchor gli Azzurri’s Euro 2020 campaign.

Secondly, the Roberto Mancini-coached Italy have a midfield unit that could outmuscle their way through the group stages and possibly the knockouts. The versatility of Jorginho and Marco Verratti will enable Lorenzo Pellegrini and Barella to express themselves from the Italian engine room in midfield.

Defence has been Italy’s biggest strength at major tournaments, and one will be eager to see how Mancini uses his defenders in Euro 2020. The 56-year-old’s 4-3-3 system requires fluidity between the defence and midfield, and a significant chunk of work will be dependent on the wingbacks - Alessandro Florenzi and Leonardo Spinazzola.

Weakness

If one has to point out a major weakness in the current Italian squad, it is their big-match experience. Barring Netherlands (1-0 in Nations League), Gli Azzurri lost 1-3 and 0-1 to France and Portugal, thus raising possible questions regarding their ability to tackle major teams in Euro 2020. The average caps for Italy’s Euro 2020 squad is 25.8 while their average age is 27.3. 

With their defence line-up including as many as five 30-plus defenders, Roberto Mancini’s Italy will hope the veteran pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci doesn’t slow down the tempo. However, given age is catching up to the veterans, Italy’s centre-back position will be under constant threat in their campaign.

Opportunities

If anything, Italy will enter the rescheduled Euro 2020 as the dark horses. Mancini inherited a team that appeared wounded after missing out on a World Cup berth and seemingly revitalized them as a unit that is now on a 27-game unbeaten run.

Since taking charge of Italy, Mancini has recorded a goal ratio of 73:14 in 30 matches, and that’s one the reasons why onlookers believe that they can go on a goalscoring spree and perhaps even all the way to the title.

Threats

The emergence of Domenico Berardi adds some freshness to the Italian forward line. The 26-year-old, who plies his trade with Sassuolo in the Serie A, has been in prolific form over the last 12 months and can create goal-scoring opportunities for clubmate Giacomo Raspadori.

21-year-old Raspadori earned his first cap for Italy in the 4-0 win against the Czech Republic, on the back of a late burst of form towards the end of the 2021 Serie A campaign. Italy have long struggled for a prolific number nine, with Ciro Immobile failing to replicate his exploits for Lazio at the international level. However, Berardi and Raspadori will both be eager to rewrite Italy’s recent misfortunes up front at major tournaments by having an impact at Euro 2020.

Featured photo: Twitter / Italy football team

After Lazio striker Ciro Immobile took the European Golden Shoe in the 2019-20 season, Bayern Munich frontman Robert Lewandowski took the accolade this year after scoring 41 goals in the 2020-21 Bundesliga season.

The Poland international was simply untouchable this season, and his figure of 41 goals took him past Gerd Muller's previous Bundesliga season record of 40 goals. The 32-year-old achieved it in Bayern’s last league game; a 5-2 win over Augsburg.

With that in mind, here we look at players with the most goals scored in a single season across Europe’s top leagues:

Most goals in a Premier League season - Mohamed Salah (32 goals) 2017/18

Try not to get confused. Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer did score 34 goals in the 1993/94 and 1994/95 Premier League seasons, respectively, but that was when the league had 42 games in a campaign. On the other hand, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah holds the record for most goals in a 38-match Premier League season when he scored 32 goals in the 2017/18 season. 

The Egyptian broke the record of 31 goals previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, 2007/08), Luis Suarez (Liverpool, 2013/14), and Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1995/1996).

Most goals in a La Liga season - Lionel Messi (50 goals) 2011/12

The 2011-12 season was arguably the best season for Lionel Messi on the personal front. Although Barcelona missed out on the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League, the Argentine scored a whopping 73 goals that season, with 50 of them coming in the Spanish top-flight itself. It is a record yet to be touched. His rival Cristiano Ronaldo came close in the same year, but he ended with 46 goals.

Most goals in a Serie A season - Gonzalo Higuain in and Ciro Immobile (36 goals) in 2019/20

Ciro Immobile’s tally of 36 goals in the 2019/20 Serie A season equalled the figures of former Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentinian striker had scored 36 goals in the 2015/16 Serie A season. As for Immobile, 14 of his 36 goals came from the penalty spot as Lazio finished within the Champions League spots. It was also the third time that Immobile had ended up being the top scorer in a Serie A season after 2013-2014 (22 goals) with Torino, and in 2017-2018 (29) with Lazio.

Most goals in a Ligue 1 season - Josip Skoblar (44 goals) 1970/71

The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar may have dominated Ligue 1 in recent times, but the pair are nowhere near the record of former Marseille forward Josip Skoblar. Between 1970-1973, Skoblar dominated the goalscoring chart every single season, ending up as the top scorer. 

The former Croatian forward set the record for most goals scored in a Ligue 1 season in 1970-71, when he found the net 44 times in just 36 games. This accounted for 1.22 goals per game. The closest anybody came to match that figure was Zlatan Ibrahimovic when he scored 38 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2015/16 season.

Featured photo: AFP / Sven Hoppe

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) returns this week, which means it’s time to fine-tune your fantasy side ahead of the second half of the group stage fixtures.

The UCL has seen plenty of goals this season, with each game averaging 3.25 goals, but if your fantasy side is struggling to rack up the numbers, we have five suggestions that will fix your team's goalscoring woes in a jiffy.

Player: Erling Braut Haaland

Team: Borussia Dortmund

Match: Borussia Dortmund vs Club Brugge

Europe’s hottest striker, Erling Braut Haaland had a career-night against Hertha Berlin at the weekend, scoring four goals in Dortmund's 5-2 rout of the side from the capital. The Norwegian has already scored 15 goals in just 11 matches for the German giants, including three goals in four in the UCL. He scored a brace in the reverse fixture at the start of the month and few can bet against Haaland adding to his tally on Wednesday. A no-brainer to include this gunman in our side.

Player: Ciro Immobile

Team: Lazio

Match: Lazio vs Zenit Saint Petersburg

The other match in Group F will pit Italian giants Lazio against the group’s whipping boys Zenit Saint Petersburg. The Russian side sits at the bottom of the group with just one point in three matches, and the game away to Lazio in Rome is also likely to end in another defeat for Zenit. With Lazio scheduled to play Zenit and Club Brugge in their next two matches, it could be a wise move to draft in striker Ciro Immobile in your fantasy side. With four goals in six Serie A games and a goal in his only appearance in the UCL, the Italian striker has started the season exactly where he left off last season, where he struck 39 goals. Immobile has been incredible since joining Lazio and the 33-year-old will be keen on adding to his tally in the UCL against two fairly weak opponents that he and his side will face over the next seven days.

Player: Ferran Torres

Team: Manchester City

Match: Olympiakos vs Manchester City

Their league form may have been abysmal so far, but Manchester City have been steamrolling teams in the Champions League. The English side have scored thrice in all three matches with summer signing Ferran Torres finding himself on the scoresheet in all three games. The young Spanish winger is yet to open his account in the Premier League but has been brilliant in the UCL. Torres made headways when he struck the first hat-trick of his professional career for Spain in their 6-0 rout of Germany and with the winger seemingly a regular starter in the UCL for City, expect him to continue his terrific recent form against a pretty mediocre Olympiakos side.

Player: Marcus Rashford

Team: Manchester United

Match: Manchester United vs Istanbul Başakşehir

Such is the inconsistency of Manchester United, that they have so far managed to thrash RB Leipzig and score a win over Paris Saint-Germain but somehow managed to fumble a game against one of the weakest sides in the UCL - Turkey's Istanbul Başakşehir. But, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men have no time to cry over spilt milk and will have to focus on getting the job done at home on Wednesday and the team will be hoping that forward Marcus Rashford can continue his sizzling form in the UCL. Rashford is the competition's joint topscorer with four goals in three games and will be hoping to add to that tally against Istanbul. The Englishman struck a hat-trick in his last outing at Old Trafford in the UCL and a repeat of that dazzling performance could see United take a giant step towards the round-of-16 of the UCL.

Player: Alvaro Morata

Team: Juventus

Match: Juventus vs Ferencvaros

It is quite inexplicable to what magic the Juventus jersey does to Alvaro Morata every time he dons it the UCL. The Spanish striker has a terrific record for the Old Lady in the Champions League and has scored nine goals in his last 14 appearances in the competition for Juventus. The Italian champions will be up against Ferencvaros in the fourth match of their UCL campaign and expect Morata to add to his tally against the Hungarian side on Wednesday.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Alberto Pizzoli

After an exhilarating Matchday 1, the UEFA Champions League returns to action in midweek. Last week’s action saw several star players stand up and being counted for their teams and Matchday 2 is likely to be no different. With that in mind, we look at a few names who can shine in the upcoming matches and help you score big fantasy points.

Player: Kingsley Coman

Team: Bayern Munich

Match: Lokomotiv Moscow vs Bayern Munich

Scorer of the goal that won Bayern Munich the UEFA Champions League final last season, Kingsley Coman has started the ongoing campaign in a rich vein of form. The pacey French winger has stepped up in the absence of Bayern’s sidelined wide man Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry and will be keen to hold on to his spot in the first team with more solid performances. He scored twice as well as assisted once in the Bavarians�?win in their opening Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid last week and will pose a threat going forward in Russia in midweek.   

Player: Romelu Lukaku

Team: Inter Milan

Match: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Inter Milan

The Belgian forward bagged a brace in Inter Milan’s first Champions League outing of the campaign and will be one of their main threats against Shakhtar Donetsk. A pacey and powerful forward who is the focal point of Inter’s attack, Romelu Lukaku has been in splendid form since his move to Italy last year. He scored 34 goals and provided six assists for I Nerazzurri last campaign and has seven goals in six games at the start of this season. One of the first names on the team sheet, Antonio Conte and Inter fans will be expecting him to be on target against Shakhtar.    

Player: Kylian Mbappe

Team: Paris Saint-Germain

Match: Istanbul Basaksehir vs Paris Saint-Germain

The French World Cup winner has enjoyed a good start to the season domestically but had a quiet opening Champions League match against Manchester United. He’s scored six times as well as provided four assists in five Ligue 1 games and will be keen to open his account in Europe. Although he had his chances on Matchday 1, a combination of good saves and robust defending kept him at bay. However, it’s safe to say that he will fancy his chances of getting on the scoresheet in Turkey and will go into the contest having netted a brace over the weekend.

Player: Ciro Immobile

Team: Lazio

Match: Club Brugge vs Lazio

Ciro Immobile was on target during Lazio’s win over Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1 and will be the Italian outfit’s biggest threat against Club Brugge. Last season’s European Golden Shoe winner with 39 goals, Immobile scored for Lazio in their win over the weekend as well and must be marked closely if the Belgian club are to keep him quiet. He’s scored three times this season and will be eager to add to his tally, having enjoyed his last outing in the competition by both scoring and setting up a goal.

Player: Bruno Fernandes

Team: Manchester United

Match: Manchester United vs RB Leipzig

Bruno Fernandes has become Manchester United’s talisman since his move to Old Trafford in January, with most of the team’s attacking play going through the Portuguese playmaker. Only Kevin De Bruyne has more goal involvements among midfielders than Fernandes since the Portuguese international’s move to England and he will be keen to add to those numbers against RB Leipzig. He’s scored four times �?including once from the spot in United’s Champions League opener �?besides also providing three assists and will most likely be involved in the thick of the action against Leipzig.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Miguel Medina

Brazil great Romario once said, �?/span>Strikers are egotists, selfish. We have to be.�?This particular utterance may sound bumptious to many, yet the fact remains that these men are solely judged on the statistics they deliver.

European football, this season, was profoundly impacted by the momentous consequences of the global pandemic but it managed to deliver what was promised. For once, the world witnessed someone other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo topping the goal-scoring chart, with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile pipping the duo by bagging 36 league goals.

In that context, a certain Robert Lewandowski was at his lethal best for the record Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. We have had as many as 11 players who crossed the 20-goal mark across the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, the Spanish La Liga and the German Bundesliga. So, to put things in perspective, and figure out who has been at the deadliest from the lot, we compare all these men across several facets like conversion rate and average shots per game to name a few to obtain a crystallised picture in front of us.

Note: Only the players to score 20 or more league goals are taken into account.

Only league appearances are considered, not the European figures.

Players from the French Ligue 1 have been excluded, given that the league ended prematurely.

Conversion rate

This particular attribute distinguishes how deadly a striker can be with his attempts. It is often said that the best strikers are those who can capitalise on the situations when expectations are least. 

Speaking in that context, a certain Jamie Vardy of Leicester City tops the chart with a conversion rate of 30.26. Having notched 23 goals and five assists in the 2019/20 Premier League season, the England forward attempted a total of 70 shots, with 43 of them being on target.

Up next comes a surprising entrant; Sassuolo’s Francesco Caputo who scored 21 and assisted a further seven. The 33-year-old had a mere 58 attempts, least amongst those who have scored at least 12 goals in the Serie A season but was on target on 35 occasions, completing his tenure with a conversion rate of 30.

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski made heads spin with a return of 34 goals and four assists. In a total of 2762 minutes played in the league, the Polish striker attempted a total of 114 shots (64 on target), maintaining a healthy rate of 25.76. 

Lazio’s Ciro Immobile stole the limelight with an exhilarating tally of 36 goals and nine assists. Having had 71 shots on target from an attempted 119, the Italian marksman finished with a rate of 25.71.

Inter’s Romelu Lukaku had a fantastic season under Antonio Conte, who also tried signing the big Belgian during his time at Chelsea. And now that the pair are working together, the former Manchester United striker finished with a figure of 23 goals and two assists, converting his 75 attempts at a rate of 24.47.

You might be wondering where the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in the list. Well, rightly so, but brace yourself for an utter disappointment as the duo finishes on the bottom of the table. 

Messi, who had a contribution in 46 league goals (25 goals and 21 assists), found the target on 71 occasions from 115 attempts, while Ronaldo, who bagged 31 goals and five assists, attempted a whopping 142 shots, with 80 being on target. The duo, however, returns a conversion rate of 14.67 (Messi) and 15.58 (Ronaldo).

Player	Goals/assists	Total Shots/On Target	Conversion rate
Jamie Vardy	23/5	71/43	30.26
Francesco Caputo	21/7	58/35	30
Robert Lewandowski	34/4	114/69	25.76
Ciro Immobile	36/9	119/71	25.71
Romelu Lukaku	23/2	75/47	24.47
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	22/3	70/42	24.44
Danny Ings	22/2	66/38	24.14
Timo Werner	28/8	100/64	23.53
Karim Benzema	21/8	107/60	18.33
Cristiano Ronaldo	31/5	142/80	15.58
Lionel Messi	25/21	115/71	14.67

Meanwhile, those between 20 and 25 are the likes of Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (24.44), Southampton’s Danny Ings (24.14), former RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner (23.53). Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, for his part, carried a conversion rate of 18.33.

Minutes per goal

Robert Lewandowski and Ciro Immobile once again enter the top half of the tally, having had minutes-per-goal ratios of 81 and 88 respectively in their leagues. The duo put together, has scored a whopping 70 goals and 13 assists between them, which is, with all due respect, more than what Watford and Norwich combined to score (62) in the 2019/20 Premier League season. Deleterious with the ball at their feet, the pair averaged 4.5 and 3.8 shots respectively per game. 

While both Messi and Ronaldo have been at the bottom in terms of conversion, their average of shots per game shows why they are considered as two of the best footballers of the current generation. The Portuguese, who found the back of the net every 94 minutes, took 6.3 shots per game in Serie A, most by any player in the list. The Barcelona frontman, on the other hand, comes second with 4.8 with a figure of 115 minutes per goal.

Player	Minutes per goal	Shots per game
Robert Lewandowski	81	4.5
Ciro Immobile	88	3.8
Cristiano Ronaldo	94	6.3
Timo Werner	100	3.6
Lionel Messi	115	4.8
Danny Ings	128	2.4
Romelu Lukaku	130	2.8
Jamie Vardy	132	2.5
Francesco Caputo	140	2
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	143	2.6
Karim Benzema	150	3.4

As shown in the list, Karim Benzema, who carried Real Madrid on several occasions en route to winning the La Liga title, took 150 minutes to score a goal. A figure that lowly, however, is compensated by 3.4 shots per game.

And perhaps to no one's surprise, Chelsea’s newest acquisition Timo Werner sits fourth with a figure of 100 minutes per goal. His average of 3.6 shots per game, though, is one of the best in the tally. 

Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang acquire the bottom spots, which well and truly resonates how fiery the English Premier League can be.

Shots from different areas

Strikers are judged on how efficient they are when not on the ball. Their clever movement of getting into the scoring position is exactly what makes them noxious, and this particular area we are about to scout explore shows how effective these 11 players have been from different parts of the field, like scoring from outside the box, around the penalty area and from the six-yard box.

Starting off with the European golden boot winner, Ciro Immobile, the Lazio striker has bagged a solitary goal from outside the box from 27 attempts. From around the penalty area though, he has attempted a whopping 112 shots (second-best in the list), converting 34 of them, followed by one from the six-yard box.

There are only two players - Karim Benzema and Francesco Caputo - who failed to score a goal from outside of the box. Benzema’s goal against Real Valladolid in August 2019 though came right from the edge of the box, and thus it is quite debatable.

Player	Shots from outside of box/goals	Conversion rate from outside of box	Shots from penalty area/goals	Shots from six-yard box/goals	Conversion rate from inside box	Penalty Goals
Ciro Immobile	27/1	16.67	112/34	3/1	55.56	14
Cristiano Ronaldo	81/2	11.76	115/25	12/4	49.15	11
Romelu Lukaku	15/1	25	73/18	11/4	51.16	6
Francesco Caputo	3/0	0	65/16	5/5	58.33	2
Robert Lewandowski	20/1	20	104/29	14/4	55.93	5
Timo Werner	18/3	20	99/22	6/3	46.55	3
Lionel Messi	84/9	26.92	66/14	9/2	37.5	5
Karim Benzema	25/0	0	86/19	13/2	37.93	5
Jamie Vardy	9/1	50	70/17	10/5	55	4
Danny Ings	15/4	60	61/11	17/7	54.55	1
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	24/2	25	60/18	9/2	55.26	2

However, the highest amount of goals from outside, as a majority of us can expect, has come from Lionel Messi, who notched nine from a whopping 84 attempts.

Robert Lewandowski, being a poacher, has found the net on 29 occasions from the penalty area in 104 attempts. Meanwhile, the best conversion rate from the six-yard box comes from Caputo, who has put the ball into the net in all of his five attempts.

Versatility

All of these 11 players have shown extreme athleticism, and that is duly illustrated by the fact that how potent they have been even with their weaker foot or even their strong presence in the air. In this distinction, we will look at how many shots each player has taken from their right foot, left foot and with their head, before they found the net.

Considering the ability to score with the weaker foot, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy has scored nine, while Southampton’s Danny Ings and Sassuolo’s Francesco Caputo have scored eight. The likes of Lionel Messi and Romelu Lukaku are the only left-footed attackers in the list, and the duo has scored two and four goals respectively from their weaker right foot.

As far as headers are concerned, Robert Lewandowski has notched eight goals by rising high, while Timo Werner and Messi are the only forwards who failed to score a headed goal in the 2019/20 league season.

Player	Right foot shots/goals	Left foot shots/goals	Headed attempts/goals
Lewandowski	73/23	24/3	39/8
Werner	92/23	21/5	10/0
Francesco Caputo	35/11	29/8	9/2
Cristiano Ronaldo	126/24	51/5	31/2
Ciro Immobile	95/28	28/6	19/2
Romelu Lukaku	20/4	58/15	20/4
Jamie Vardy	34/11	37/9	18/3
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	67/16	17/3	9/3
Danny Ings	55/13	21/8	17/1
Karim Benzema	69/14	30/4	24/2
Lionel Messi	12/2	142/23	5/0

And for the second time running, both Ronaldo and Messi have oozed class by having 126 and 142 attempts respectively with their stronger foot. 

Note: Stats taken from whoscored, BBC, transfermarkt, one-versus-one and understat

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ander Gillenea, Sven Hoppe, Marco Bertorello

Serie A concluded on Sunday after a marathon 11-month 2019-20 season, with Juventus crowned Italian champions for the ninth year in a row.

Here, we take a look at the highs and lows after the final weekend of the campaign:

Juve hit a 10-year low

Juventus were crowned champions for the 36th time but wrapped up their season with the lowest number of points of their nine-season title run.

Maurizio Sarri's side finished with 83 points -- their lowest tally of the past decade -- with their most number of defeats for a single season in that time with seven.

The Turin giants won just two of their final eight matches, with Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Roma their first loss at their Allianz Stadium home since April 2018.

• 'Fear is good,' says Sarri as Juve crash in Serie A finale

They also conceded 43 goals, more than in any of their previous eight title successes.

"Considering all the problems we had this season which was unlike any other, we can be happy to have won," said Sarri.

"It was a season in which the strongest could have lost."

Conte fury at Inter's Chinese owners

Antonio Conte's Inter Milan ended up finishing just one point behind fierce rivals Juve in second, their best placing since 2011.

But Conte's future has been thrown into doubt after his outburst following Saturday's 2-0 win over Atalanta in Bergamo which enabled them to snatch second place.

"It has been a tough year on a personal level, very tough," said the former Juve, Chelsea and Italy coach, who was angered at perceived media criticism of him and his team.

"We had to eat crap for months and got zero protection from the club.

"There will be discussions with the president (Steven Zhang), but he is in China.

"I can be a lightning rod for the first year, but if you don't learn and keep making the same mistakes, that's just crazy."

Atalanta surge

Atalanta returned even stronger after the three-month lockdown in which the team's city of Bergamo was at the epicentre of the global pandemic.

Gian Piero Gasperini's exciting side scored 98 goals -- 35 after the return -- with Colombians Luis Muriel and Duvan Zapata scoring 18 each, and Josip Ilicic 15.

Atalanta finished the season third, matching last season's all-time best finish.

They still have plenty to play for too, as they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals in their debut season in the competition.

Immobile top, but Lazio fall short

Ciro Immobile equalled Serie A's single-season scoring record but Lazio fell short in their bid for a first league title in two decades.

The 30-year-old Italy international scored in a 3-1 defeat at Napoli to match Gonzalo Higuain's record of 36 goals, set while playing for Napoli in the 2015-16 season.

Immobile also won the European Golden Shoe for the continent's top scorer this term.

"Winning the Golden Shoe is a source of great pride, to go down in the history of this sport," said Immobile, who scored seven goals in his last five games, including a hat-trick.

Lazio finished fourth to return to the Champions League for the first time since 2007.

Zlatan rolls back the years

Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the oldest player to score 10 goals in a Serie A season as AC Milan finished the campaign on a 12-game unbeaten run for the first time in nearly three decades.

• 'I'm just warming up:' Ibrahimovic dismisses retirement talk

The 38-year-old, who joined Milan in January, scored his first goal at Cagliari and ended the campaign scoring against the Sardinians in a 3-0 win at the San Siro.

The seven-time European champions moved up from 11th in January to sixth and qualified for the Europa League.

Balotelli flops amid racism storm

Mario Balotelli's return to hometown club Brescia was a flop with the Italy international also subjected to racism.

The 29-year-old former Manchester City and Liverpool striker was targeted by racist abuse at Lazio and Verona, where he threatened to walk off the pitch.

Verona were given a one-match partial stadium closure, which was later suspended on appeal. Lazio were fined 20,000 euros.

There was also controversy during the season surrounding Serie A's anti-racism campaign which featured three images of monkeys.

Balotelli scored just five goals as Brescia returned to Serie B after just one season in the top flight.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Miguel Medina

Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri warned that his side would be back to their attacking best in the Champions League next week despite finishing their Serie A campaign with a 3-1 home defeat against Roma on Saturday.

It was Juventus's second consecutive defeat since sealing a ninth Serie A title in a row, just days before their Champions League campaign resumes against Lyon.

"It can be good for us to have a little fear," said Sarri as his side target a first elite European title since 1996.

"We had an unconscious, inevitable drop after the victory against Lazio. 

"The physical energy can be recovered quickly, the psychological one must be reassured immediately, in order to give everything against Lyon."

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Happy to win the last two of the nine Serie A consecutive titles for Juventus! It seems easy but it isn't! Year after year with talent, dedication and hard work you can achieve your goals and be better than before! Let’s go for my third ⚪️⚫️ # italychampions # 31goals #finoallafine

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Sarri's side need to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their last 16 home game against Lyon.

"I am convinced that the game on Friday will be a great stimulus, and that we'll go onto the pitch with a completely different attitude," added the former Chelsea and Napoli coach.

Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for the final match with nothing left to play for against fifth-place Roma.

Argentine Gonzalo Higuain spearheaded the Juventus attack breaking through after just six minutes in the Allianz Stadium.

But Diego Perotti inspired a Roma fightback setting up Nikola Kalinic to nod in the equaliser after 23 minutes.

A Perotti penalty before the break and a second six minutes into the second half condemned Juventus to their third defeat in four matches.

The team later lifted the trophy at an empty Allianz Stadium as they celebrated winning the 'Scudetto' for the 36th time.

Inter second

Inter Milan took second place with a 2-0 win over direct rivals Atalanta in Bergamo, finishing the season just one point behind Juventus.

"There is still a big gap with Juventus," said Inter coach Antonio Conte whose side won a three-team battle for second place.

"Juve has a much better structure on and off the pitch. Now the others are trying to work to catch up. We must be smart to understand how to do this, not to go from depression to excessive euphoria."

Juventus: 83 points
Inter Milan: 82 points

People will look back at 2019/20
Serie A table and say Inter pushed us all the way. The realty is that, Inter never looked like winning the Scudetto this season at any point.

�?Kamran Khan (@KammyJuventus) August 1, 2020

Danilo D'Ambrosio nodded in Inter's first goal after just one minute in Bergamo with Ashley Young doubling their lead after 20 minutes with a stunning curling shot to boost confidence ahead of next week's Europa League tie against Getafe.

Atalanta's 17-match unbeaten league run going back to January 20 ended.

But coach Gian Piero Gasperini said it was the best preparation for their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

"This game with Inter gave us a nice wake up call, it was the best thing that could have happened to us," said Gasperini.

"It was the best game we could find in anticipation of the Champions League. 

"In the last few weeks we have played more confident football, taken our foot off the gas a little, but tonight we have understood that you cannot play like that against this type of team, and it will be the same with the PSG."

Immobile matches record

Lazio finished fourth, equal on points with Atalanta, having been pushing for the title just one point behind Juventus when the season resumed on June 20.

Simone Inzaghi's side fell 3-1 to Napoli but forward Ciro Immobile scored his 36th goal of the season to equal the record for the most goals in a Serie A campaign. 

The 30-year-old Italy international tapped in after 22 minutes to match Argentina forward Higuain's record of 36 goals, set while playing for Napoli in the 2015-16 season.

End of Europe's T5Ls 2019/20:

Most goals - Immobile (36)
Most assists - Messi /Muller (21)
Most G/A - Messi (46)
Most pts won - Messi (31)
Most BigChances made - Messi (36)
Most MoTM - Messi (22)
Most key passes - KDB (120)
Highest WhoScored rating - Messi (8.71) pic.twitter.com/BdQmQGKgvB

�?Dante (@FCBDante) August 1, 2020

Immobile will also win the European Golden Shoe for the continent's top scorer this term, having overtaken Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski's tally of 34 in midweek.

Napoli warmed up for their Champions League last 16 second leg game over Barcelona with a win, but lost captain Lorenzo Insigne, who scored on the night, to injury.

In the San Siro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a penalty but scored his 10th league goal since January as AC Milan finished in sixth place with a 3-0 win over Cagliari.

The season concludes on Sunday with Lecce and Genoa playing Parma and Hellas Verona respectively hoping to avoid joining Brescia and SPAL down in Serie B.

Genoa, in 17th, are just one-point ahead of Lecce, who occupy the final relegation berth.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Isabella Bonotto

Lazio's Ciro Immobile is set to join an exclusive club as the highest-scoring player in Europe this season.

In a decade dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the underrated Italian is near assured of winning the European Golden Shoe for the continent's top scorer.

From Messi, to Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Robert Lewandowski and Erling Braut Haaland, nobody in Europe has managed to keep pace with the Naples-born player. 

Immobile overtook Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski with his 35th goal against Brescia midweek, and will close his campaign against Napoli on Saturday.

Juventus star Ronaldo, on 31 goals, is four behind before the Serie A champions' final game against Roma in Turin, in which he may not even play with the Champions League looming.

It would not be the first time that 30-year-old Immobile has topped the Serie A goal-scoring charts, having won the 'Capocannoniere' twice before in 2014 and 2018.

But he would become just the third Italian winner of the European Golden Shoe after Roma's Francesco Totti (26) in 2007 and Luca Toni for Fiorentina in 2006 (31).

Another two goals on Saturday would also see him surpass Gonzalo Higuain's Serie A record of 36 goals, set playing for Napoli in the 2015-16 season.

"I am only sorry that I cannot celebrate these numbers with the fans," said Immobile, nicknamed 'King Ciro' in the capital, but whose career before arriving in Rome had been erratic.

• Read | Immobile closes in on Serie A record as Lazio target second spot

Success has not followed onto the national team, where he has scored ten goals in 39 games, taking the brunt of criticism after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Immobile started his career at Juventus, where he made just three appearances before a breakthrough loan season in 2011-2012 at Pescara where his 28 goals lifted the Serie B side into the top flight.

He couldn't follow up his form the following season with Genoa, but had more success with Torino where he scored 22 goals in 33 appearances to win his first Serie A top scorer award.

An 18 million euros ($22 million) move to the Bundesliga followed, but he scored just three times in 24 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, followed by an unsuccessful six-month spell at Sevilla.

Lazio revival

But scoring is something he has done with stunning regularity since joining Lazio in the summer of 2016, at the same time as coach Simone Inzaghi.

He has has flourished in the Inzaghi system playing alongside Luis Alberto and Joaquin Correa, and midfielders Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Marco Parolo, scoring 102 times in 141 Serie A appearances.

Lazio can thank Immobile for nearly half of their 78 league goals, as he slotted in 14 from the penalty spot.

• Read | Five talking points before Serie A season finale

The title challenge fell off after the lockdown with four defeats in their first five July games as Immobile conceded: "I have not been myself, I need to get back to being calm."

He has scored six goals in his last four games as Lazio, already assured of a return to the Champions League after 13 seasons, target a second-place finish.

"It is a great achievement for him, but also for the whole team," said Inzaghi. 

"And then there is Ronaldo, with four goals behind, let's see what will happen. 

"Ciro's records would be a nice prize for everyone. He leapt over Lewandowski, he broke every record, he's just missing a goal to reach Higuain."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Filippo Monteforte