Best XI of Serie A Round 21: Atalanta and Sassuolo Stars in Form

AC Milan, Atalanta, Inter, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Top 11, Torino

After the COVID outbreak on Matchday 20, in which four of ten games were cancelled, Serie A was back in full action this past weekend. All ten games were played this time, and Round 21 featured some of the highest-scoring encounters of the season so far.

Sassuolo and Atalanta were the biggest entertainers of this round, scoring a combined 11 goals to the delight of their fans. The Neroverdi celebrated a fantastic win against Empoli, defeating the newcomer 5-1, while La Dea have not given up the title fight just yet, as their six-goal performance against Udinese was a slight warning sign for both Milan clubs.

As for entertainment, there was plenty of it in the other two key battles of this round. The clash between Juventus and Roma was arguably the highlight of the weekend, as the Bianconeri overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Jose Mourinho’s men 4-3. Inter, last year’s Scudetto winners, remain on course for the championship and went top of the league with a 2-1 win over Lazio.

Here we take a look at the best statistical XI of Serie A Round 21.

Goalkeeper – Mike Maignan (Milan)

After being eliminated from the Champions League with only one win in six games, Milan are now fully focused on Serie A duties to challenge Inter for the title. A 3-0 win over Venezia and a clean sheet are good proof that the Rossoneri mean business.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan will be crucial for the rest of the season, as he kept his sixth clean sheet in 15 games on Sunday. The Frenchman made 3 saves against Venezia, posting an 0.60 xGC (Expected Goals Conceded) and completed 81% of his passes (25/31).

FotMob Rating – 7.3

Right-Back / Right Wing-Back – Joakim Maehle (Atalanta)

Atalanta have once again shown why they should be considered one of the best attacking teams not only in Italy, but also in Europe. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men put six past Udinese on Sunday, and right wing-back Joakim Maehle played a big part in this outstanding performance.

The Denmark international scored his first goal (0.90 xG) and provided first assist (0.11 xA) of the season in a 6-2 win. Maehle also recorded an 84% pass completion rate and made 3 key passes.

FotMob Rating – 9.1

Right Centre-Back – Milan Skriniar (Inter)

Inter have really soared in recent months, winning game after game, and looks supremely confident in their attempt to win their second successive Serie A title. The 2-1 win over Lazio was their eighth in a row, although none of Inter’s attacking force up front could score.

Centre back Milan Skriniar was the offensive force the Nerazzurri needed on Sunday night as he scored the game winning goal, his third of the season. The Slovakian also won a remarkable 86% of his duels (6/7) and recorded a 97% passing rate.

FotMob Rating – 8.3

Left Centre-Back – Alessandro Bastoni (Inter)

Some may say that if defenders are the players who win a game for you, when the team is in big trouble. However, this statement is not entirely true when it comes to Inter, the top scorers in Serie A this season.

Central defender Alessandro Bastoni scored his first goal of the season against Lazio (0.07 xG) and just like his defensive counterpart, Skriniar, can be a valuable scorer from time to time. The young defender also set up Inter’s winning goal, providing his first assist of the season (0.36 xA).

FotMob Rating – 8.8

Left-Back / Left Wing-Back – Theo Hernandez (Milan)

If we are talking about defenders who can contribute in attack and even win a game for the team, there is probably none better than Theo Hernandez at the moment.

Milan’s left-back is on a high for the second season in a row and has shown incredible performances in attack. Against Venezia, the Frenchman scored his first brace of the season (1.70 xG) and also played 2 key passes.

FotMob Rating – 9.4

Central Attacking Midfielder – Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta)

When Atalanta score five or more goals, it is almost certain that all their key players contributed in one way or another. The 6-2 thrashing of Udinese was no exception, with Ruslan Malinovskyi playing a significant role in this remarkable win.

The Ukrainian scored (0.74 xG) and assisted (0.08 xA) in Sunday’s game, increasing his season tally to 5 goals and 2 assists. Additionally, Malinovskyi played 4 key passes.

FotMob Rating – 9.0

Central Attacking Midfielder – Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)

Sassuolo are gradually climbing up the Serie A table and are now only four points away from the European places after a 5-1 win over Empoli.

The Neroverdi have the seventh best attack in Serie A this season, and one of the reasons is 21-year-old young talent Giacomo Raspadori. The Italian scored twice on the weekend (0.80 xG) and now has 6 goals to his name this season.

FotMob Rating – 9.0

Central Attacking Midfielder – Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)

Roma squandered a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3 to Juventus on Sunday night but had a great chance to at least get a point in the final minutes. Lorenzo Pellegrini was the player who missed a late penalty; however, the Italian showed a solid overall performance and deserves to be included in the list.

The 24-year-old scored his sixth goal of the season against Juventus and also provided his fourth assist. Pellegrini is currently Roma’s second-best player behind Tammy Abraham with a combined tally of 10 goals and assists.

FotMob Rating – 8.1

Forward – Josip Brekalo (Torino)

Torino recorded their second-highest win of the season on Monday night with a 4-0 victory over Fiorentina. It was an overall impressive offensive performance from the Toro, who are still within reach of the European places.

Josip Brekalo was the standout player of the night for Torino, scoring a brace (0.67 xG) to help his side to victory.

FotMob Rating – 9.0

Forward – Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)

Sassuolo lost one of their key players in Manuel Locatelli in the summer and it seems they could lose another in the upcoming transfer window. Winger Domenico Berardi has undoubtedly been the Neroverdi’s best player this season and proved it once again with his performance against Empoli.

The Italian scored his tenth goal of the season and provided two more assists to help Sassuolo to an incredible 5-1 victory. In addition, Berardi made an outstanding 7 key passes.

FotMob Rating – 9.6

Centre Forward – Luis Muriel (Atalanta)

Atalanta’s striker duo in Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel is probably one of the most underrated in Europe. The former is La Dea’s top scorer with 9 goals this season, but in the game against Udinese it was his Colombian colleague Luis Muriel who set the tone.

The 30-year-old centre forward scored twice in the win and now has 4 goals in this Serie A campaign. The Colombian also played 2 key passes as part of his impressive offensive display.

FotMob Rating – 9.2

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