Welcome back to the Serie A dept. of useless information. The January edition.
By Frank Risorto
We’ve returned to the Serie A department of useless information, and instead of focusing on one position, we’re running our eye over the statistical leader boards seeing what stands out.
As always, all stats come courtesy of FBref.com due in part because the folks at Serie A HQ are busily preparing their next English speaking tweet to frustrate and befuddle those of us outside of Italy.
Funnily enough you’d be proud to know that our last column has instigated change, big change!
In researching our goalkeeper edition, we noticed Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski was listed as both a goalkeeper and central defender.
How you ask?
Turns out Dragowski’s red card on Matchday 1 after 16 minutes sent the programming code at FBref.com into chaos so Dragowski was listed in both positions.
The only dual position goalkeeper to take the Serie A field this season.
Thanks to our intervention, and a few emails to clarify, the folks at FBref.com have since amended the records, so it’s back to goal for you Bart.
Anyway, enough inspiring talk of change, let’s get to it.
Maxime Lopez, the midfielder measuring in at 5 foot 5 inches, is continuing to pass sides into submission.
Lopez, who’s passing game looks capable of improving any side across Europe, has completed over 91% of all passes, 1558 of 1700 passes have been successful, and is by far one of the busiest midfielders in the league with only 13 passes, out of 1700, blocked by his opposition.
Lopez has received 1490 passes cleanly, tracking at nearly 97% success rate, and just as importantly has made more tackles and interceptions than a few notable midfielders, including Sandro Tonali, Manuel Locatelli and Nicolo Barella.
Pushng Lopez for a weird and wonderful passing oddity is Napoli’s underrated Stanislav Lobotka.
Lobotka, who albeit has played less than Lopez this season, has attempted 893 successful passes tracking at 93.6%.
Note though, most of Lobotka’s touches are in the middle of the field whereas Lopez consistently takes possession of the ball all over the field.
Extrapolate Lobotka’s statistics, as well as his excellent tackling technique, across a full season and Napoli have got themselves an elite midfielder on their hands.
Roma’s defender Rick Kardsop’s another playing to his strength, his right foot that is.
Karsdorp, has incredibly only made 30 passes on his left foot as opposed to 899 on his right, so for all the Serie A players reading this, when you come up against Karsdorp, force him to his left.
Bologna’s Gary Medel continues his one-man quest to never attack his opposition’s penalty box.
Medel has 1205 touches of the ball this season but is yet to touch the ball in his opposition’s penalty area.
Another Medel gem, is the Chilean has been the recipient of 789 passes, only losing possession on three occasions.
That’s 99.6% for those counting at home.
Still in Bologna, Roberto Soriano still has more bookings (2 red and 5 yellow) than goals and assists (0 goals, 3 assists). Go Roby go!
Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi and Bologna’s Ricardo Orsolini meanwhile are steadfast in their refusal to take an outswinging corner.
Yes, corner directions are tracked.
Berardi has taken 27 corners this season, 25 of which are inswingers and Orsolini has taken 20 corners, 19 of which inswingers.
So, if you find yourself defending corners from either of these two, you can bet you know what’s about to happen.
Meanwhile in Genoa, where Domenico Criscito continues to amaze us with his shooting statistics for the season, rumoured to be his last in Italy, before he reportedly joins the MLS and the Italian enclave in Toronto.
Criscito, who’s scored five goals this season, all penalties, has taken 13 shots at goal, at an average of 29 metres and is yet to have a single shot on target.
Finally in Reggio Emilia, where Alessio Dionisi has broken the league’s best streak, dropping veteran defender Federico Peluso on Matchday 20, therefore breaking his run of uninterrupted appearances as an unused substitute on the bench.
For those keeping track, Peluso made 30 consecutive appearances, including 10 matchdays to round out last season, on the Sassuolo bench without taking the field.
And yet somehow, he still found himself dropped.
Thanks for reading and stay safe, enjoy your Calcio.
