The Best XI of Serie A Round 32: Juventus Quartet Boast the List

Serie A is gradually approaching its climax with exactly one month remaining until the 2020-21 season closes its curtains. Although the games are ticking away quickly, nothing has been decided yet, with the battle for places in next season Champions League grabbing most of the attention.

In Round 32, Napoli showed that they are a team to be feared as Gennaro Gattuso’s men produced one of their best performances of the season against Lazio, while Milan have further dented their top four ambitions with a defeat to Sassuolo on Wednesday night.

Here we take a look at the best statistical XI of Serie A Round 32 in collaboration with the FotMob app.

Goalkeeper – Andrea Consigli (Sassuolo)

Although the 34-year-old shot-stopper was unable to keep a clean sheet against Milan, he played a big part in Sassuolo’s win on Wednesday night.

Consigli made 5 saves against the Rossoneri, which accumulated 1.10 Post-Shot Expected Goals (PSxG), meaning the Italian goalkeeper neither overperformed nor underperformed. Besides that, the 34-year-old also registered a 77% pass success (27/35).

FotMob rating – 7.6

Right-Back / Right Wing-Back – Danilo (Juventus)

Juventus secured an important 3-1 win over Parma in the battle for a top-four finish, with a number of the Bianconeri’s players producing solid performances. The Brazilian right-back Danilo was one of them, contributing both defensively and offensively to his side’s victory.

The 29-year-old created one big scoring chance against Parma, as well as completed 7 progressive passes and 7 progressive ball carries. Defensively, the Brazilian international produced an even more impressive display, winning 86% of duels (6/7), recovering the ball 7 times and succeeding in 3 out of 4 tackle attempts (75% success ratio).

FotMob rating – 7.9

Right Center-Back – Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus)

The Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt is another Juventus player whose top performance against Parma put him in the top-rated XI for the week.

The former Ajax centre-back opened his 2020/21 Serie A account with a goal and an assist, which were the highlights of his overall impressive performance. In addition, De Ligt once again showed why he is rated so highly in terms of his ability on the ball: the Dutchman completed an outstanding 95% of all passes (80/84).

FotMob rating – 8.8

Left Center-Back – Bryan Cristante (Roma)

Roma had an incredibly tough game against Atalanta, with the Nerazzurri completely dominating the game until the red card for Robin Gosens. Bryan Cristante was one of the Giallorossi defenders who had to deal with a ferocious wave of Atalanta attacks.

Although Roma failed to keep a clean sheet and could have conceded more than one goal, Cristante did a good job trying to shut down the opposition threat as he won 5 defensive duels, made 4 interceptions and recovered the ball 11 times. On top of that, the 26-year-old Italian also scored his first goal of the season, with a bullet strike from distance.

FotMob rating – 8.7

Left-Back / Left Wing-Back – Alex Sandro (Juventus)

The third Juventus player to make the list of the week’s best-rated XI is again a defender. The left-back Alex Sandro played a pivotal role in his team’s win over Parma, scoring two of the three goals.

They were the first two successful strikes of the season for the Brazilian, making him one of the standout performers of the week. In addition to his two goals, Alex Sandro also created one big goal scoring chance and registered a 92% pass success (56/61).

FotMob rating – 9.2

Central Midfielder – Nicolas Viola (Benevento)

Benevento secured a crucial point in the race for Serie A survival following their 2-2 draw away to Genoa. The midfielder Nicolas Viola was the driving force behind Benevento’s attack on the night, opening the scoring in the fifth minute and providing an assist ten minutes later.

In addition to his goal and assist, the 31-year-old Italian also completed 2 shot-creating and 2 goal-creating actions. Viola’s defensive contribution should not be overlooked either, with the Benevento midfielder winning 10 duels (77% success ratio) and recovering the ball 7 times.

FotMob rating – 8.8

Central Attacking Midfielder – Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)

It would be a crime not to include players from a team that scores five goals in a single game. This is exactly what Napoli did last night against Lazio, and Piotr Zielinski was part of the offensive hurricane his team imposed on the Biancocelesti.

The Polish midfielder registered his 8th assist of the season against Lazio, setting up Dries Mertens, who scored Napoli’s fourth goal of the night. Zielinski was also comfortable in possession throughout the game, having completed a remarkable 96% of pass attempts (23/24).

FotMob rating – 8.0

Right Winger – Juan Cuadrado (Juventus)

Four players from one team making the list does not happen on a regular basis, but this time Juventus exceeded the expectations of most of us. Juan Cuadrado is the fourth representative of the Bianconeri, whose outstanding individual performance contributed to an impressive collective team display.

The Colombian winger registered 2 more assists against Parma, taking his Serie A season total to 9. Cuadrado was Juventus’ most creative player on the pitch, having completed 6 shot-creating and 3-goal creating actions. Besides that, he also registered 13 progressive ball carries – the highest among players from both teams.

FotMob rating – 8.6

Left Winger – Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

A true talisman of the team, Lorenzo Insigne delivered a big performance when Napoli needed it most. The little Italian winger scored twice against Lazio, registering his 16th and 17th of the season, which was a massive win for Gattuso’s men in the battle for next season’s Champions League spot.

FotMob rating – 8.8

Striker – Goran Pandev (Genoa)

Ageing is a natural phenomenon of life over which humans have no control; however, one could seriously argue whether the same is true when we talk about Goran Pandev.

The 37-year-old Genoa forward reminded everyone of his striker ability with his 2 goals against Benevento on Wednesday night. The Macedonian international now has 6 goals this Serie A season and is Genoa’s second-highest scorer in the league.

FotMob rating – 8.8

Striker – Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)

Not all players need to play full 90 minutes to make a difference. Sassuolo’s Giacomo Raspadori is the perfect example of that, as the 21-year-old striker netted a brace in less than 20 minutes against Milan. The young Italian has scored 4 goals this Serie A season and has a big future ahead of him.

FotMob rating – 8.5