The Best XI of Serie A Round 33: Correa and Reina Win it For Lazio

Atalanta, Cagliari, Crotone, Italian Football, Lazio, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Top 11, Udinese

It was another exciting and action-packed weekend in Serie A. The battle for places in next season Champions League and the fight against relegation took another dramatic turn.

In Round 33, Milan have dropped out of the top four for the first time since October 2020 after a crushing 3-0 defeat to Lazio on Monday, while Cagliari lifted themselves out of the bottom three with a stunning win over Roma.

Here we take a look at the best statistical XI of Serie A Round 33 in collaboration with the FotMob app.

Goalkeeper – Pepe Reina (Lazio)

Although Lazio’s win over Milan may have come a little too late in the battle for the top four finish, their goalkeeper Pepe Reina played a big part in keeping the Biancocelesti’s dream alive.

The 38-year-old veteran kept his 9th clean sheet of this Serie A season against Milan, making 5 important saves to prevent the Rossoneri from scoring. Overall, Reina conceded 1.84 expected goals last night (xGC), meaning the Spanish goalkeeper did a remarkable job to keep a clean sheet.

FotMob rating – 7.8

Right-Back / Right Wing-Back – Achraf Hakimi (Inter)

Inter registered another narrow victory on the weekend, beating Hellas Verona 1-0 thanks to Matteo Darmian’s 76th minute goal. Achraf Hakimi – one of Inter’s standout performers this season – played a big part in the win, setting up his fellow full-back with an assist.

As well as his 6th assist of the season, the Moroccan international was the driving force behind Inter’s attacking play, constantly getting forward and distributing passes into dangerous zones. Against Verona, Hakimi completed 9 progressive passes, 4 of which entered the final third and the penalty area, and 8 progressive ball carries.

FotMob rating – 8.1

Right Center-Back – Lisandro Magallan (Crotone)

Crotone secured their first win after six straight defeats against Parma on Saturday, despite conceding three goals. The center-back Lisandro Magallan was one of the scorers for Crotone, netting his first goal of the season to put his side ahead inside the opening 15 minutes.

Although Crotone did not shine defensively, the 27-year-old Argentine did a solid job on an individual level. Magallan won 8 out of 13 duels (62% success rate), including 4 aerial duels, recovered the ball 4 times and made 5 clearances.

FotMob rating – 7.7

Left Center-Back – Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo)

Sassuolo recorded their 7th clean sheet of the season against Sampdoria, largely due to a solid performance from the Neroverdi backline. Gian Marco Ferrari was part of the back three system, playing as a left-sided center-back against Sampdoria, and the Italian did not disappoint.

Ferrari was all about defensive work on Saturday, winning 6 duels, 4 of which were aerials, intercepting the ball 3 times and making 7 ball recoveries. The Sassuolo defender was also crucial in the build-up play, completing an impressive 91% of his pass attempts (75/82).

FotMob rating – 7.9

Left-Back / Left Wing-Back – Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese)

Another high-scoring game of the weekend involved Udinese, who put four past the league strugglers Benevento. The left wing-back Jens Stryger Larsen was one of four different goal scorers for Udinese, netting only his second goal of the Serie A season.

Although his overall attacking output was rather limited – the Danish international managed to create one big scoring chance – getting your name on the scoresheet pretty much guarantees a place in the top-rated XI of the week.

FotMob rating – 7.8

Central Midfielder – Razvan Marin (Cagliari)

Cagliari secured a massive win against Roma on Sunday in their fight for Serie A survival. The result saw the Sardinian club move out of the bottom three, albeit only on goal difference. The central midfielder Razvan Marin was the star player in this game, scoring a goal and setting up Cagliari’s third with an assist.

The 24-year-old Romanian talent was the creative force in Cagliari’s midfield throughout the game. He completed 89% of total pass attempts (31/35), 3 of which were key passes.

FotMob rating – 8.6

Central Midfielder – Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese)

It is rare for a team to score four goals in a game without their most influential players putting in a solid performance in terms of goals and assists. Udinese’s Rodrigo De Paul put in another great attacking display against Benevento, with the Argentine midfielder producing 2 assists to increase his season tally to 7.

The 26-year-old has been a true revelation for Udinese this season and his performances only confirm that. Besides his two assists, De Paul also completed 4 shot-creating and 3 goal-creating actions, made 6 progressive passes and successfully dribbled past the opposing player in 3 out of 6 attempts (50% dribble success).

FotMob rating – 8.8

Central Attacking Midfielder – Roberto Pereyra (Udinese)

Joining his Argentine peer on the list is another creative midfielder from Udinese, Roberto Pereyra. The 30-year-old was also the driving force behind Udinese’s attacking play, contributing with 2 assists.

Although less influential than his Argentine counterpart, Pereyra’s offensive output was still impressive. The Udinese midfielder completed 6 shot-creating and 3 goal-creating actions, made 3 progressive passes, 2 of which were key passes.

FotMob rating – 8.8

Central Attacking Midfielder – Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta)

The free-flowing Atalanta put in another terrific performance on the weekend against Bologna. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men scored five goals for the fourth time this Serie A season, and the attacking midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi was one of the main contributors.

The 27-year-old Ukrainian scored and assisted in the 5-0 demolition, taking his tally to combined 15 goals and assists this season (9 goals & 6 assists). Besides that, Malinovskyi showed an impressive passing quality against Bologna, registering a 85% pass success (39/46), including 6 key passes.

FotMob rating – 9.2

Striker – Joaquin Correa (Lazio)

On Monday night, Lazio pulled of an impressive 3-0 win over Milan to keep their top four hopes alive, albeit minimally. The Argentine striker Joaquin Correa scored twice against the Rossoneri – three goals in the last three Serie A encounters – and deservedly features on our list of top-rated Serie XI of the week.

FotMob rating – 9.0

Striker – Luis Muriel (Atalanta)

The 30-year-old striker is absolutely on fire at the moment and could be in contention for Serie A player of the season. The Colombian netted his 19th goal of the season against Bologna and provided his 8th assist as well, once again being one of the standout performers.

FotMob rating – 9.2

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