The Best XI of Serie A Round 9: Four Star Performance from Simeone

AC Milan, Hellas Verona, Italian Football, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Torino

All the attention in the Round 9 of Serie A was on the two heavyweight matches as Roma looked to end Napoli’s unbeaten run, while Inter faced Juventus in Derby d’Italia. The two most anticipated matches of the week did not deliver too much excitement but, as usual, the clash between the lesser clubs should not be overlooked.

Here we take a look at the best statistical XI of Serie A Round 9 in collaboration with the FotMob app.

Goalkeeper – David Ospina (Napoli)

The 33-year-old veteran kept his fifth clean sheet of the season in the clash against Roma at the weekend.

Despite the fact that Ospina only made 1 save throughout the entire 90 minutes, his overall contribution should not be discounted. The Colombian also completed 93% of his pass attempts (27/29).

FotMob Rating – 7.4

Right-Back / Right Wing-Back – Davide Calabria (Milan)

Milan registered their fifth consecutive win as they beat Bologna 4-2 after squandering a two-goal lead.

The Rossoneri right-back put in a solid performance down the right flank, scoring the team’s second goal of the game. The 24-year-old also made 1 key pass and recorded an overall pass completion of 85%.

FotMob Rating – 8.1

Right Center-Back – Omar Colley (Sampdoria)

Sampdoria picked up their second win of this Serie A season at the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Spezia.

The club’s defensive record has not been great so far this season (17 goals conceded), but Omar Colley has ensured that things are starting to improve in defense. The Gambian international won 8 duels against Spezia (89% success rate), made 5 interceptions and recovered the ball 5 times.

FotMob Rating – 8.1

Left Center-Back – Sebastiano Luperto (Empoli)

Empoli put in an impressive first half performance against Salernitana on Saturday, leading 4-0 at halftime, and despite conceding two goals in the second half, one of the club’s center backs made our list.

Sebastiano Luperto had a solid game in the Empoli back line, winning 71% of his duels and making a remarkable 13 clearances, 7 of which were headed. The Italian also made 3 ball recoveries.

FotMob Rating – 7.8

Left-Back / Left Wing-Back – Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina)

Fiorentina have been one of the surprises so far this Serie A season, currently sitting in seventh place with 15 points.

The club’s left-back Cristiano Biraghi made a solid contribution in the 3-0 win over Cagliari, scoring the first goal of the game. The Italian also completed a remarkable 95% of his passing attempts (57/60), 3 of which were key passes.

FotMob Rating – 8.1

Defensive Midfielder – Ismael Bennacer (Milan)

The second Milan player to appear on the list is Ismael Bennacer. The Algerian international is gradually making progress in the Rossoneri colours and has featured in the starting eleven in the last three games.

Against Bologna, the 23-year-old scored his first goal and provided his first assist of the season. Bennacer has also successfully completed 90% of his passing attempts (71/79).

FotMob Rating – 8.8

Central Midfielder – Tommaso Pobega (Torino)

Torino won for the third time this season at the weekend, beating Genoa 3-2. Their attacking record is not the most impressive though, as they scored more than two goals for only the second time this season.

Central midfielder Tommaso Pobega was one of the three goal scorers for Torino in this match, scoring his second goal of the season. The Italian also created 1 big goal scoring opportunity and completed 78% of his pass attempts.

FotMob Rating – 8.1

Central Attacking Midfielder – Gianluca Caprari (Verona)

Verona recorded their most impressive win of the season so far on Sunday afternoon, beating Lazio 4-1. Igor Tudor’s men are the third highest scorers in the league, with one player in particular flourishing under the new system.

Gianluca Caprari has arguably been Verona’s most influential player this season, recording 2 more assists over the weekend. The Italian has already recorded 4 assists and 3 goals this Serie A season.

FotMob Rating – 8.7

Striker – Antonio Sanabria (Torino)

Torino’s other representative on the list is Paraguayan center-forward Antonio Sanabria. The 25-year-old scored his first goal in over a month against Genoa, and it was his second of the season.

Sanabria needed 4 attempts to score on Friday night, recording an xG (expected goals) value of 0.50. The Paraguayan also set up 1 big scoring chance for his teammates.

FotMob Rating – 8.5

Striker – Andrea Pinamonti (Empoli)

Empoli’s return to Serie A has been more than impressive so far this season, with four wins and 12 points after nine games. Saturday was the second time this season they scored four goals in a game, and striker Andrea Pinamonti was the main reason.

The 22-year-old Italian scored twice in the first half against Salernitana to increase his goal tally to 3. Pinamonti also created 2 big scoring chances.

FotMob Rating – 9.1

Striker – Giovanni Simeone (Verona)

Although many players put in great performances over the weekend, all the credit goes to one man – Giovanni Simeone.

The Argentine ensured that Lazio fans will remember his name for at least the foreseeable future, as his four goals helped Verona to their biggest win of the season. Even more impressively, all four of Simeone’s goals have an xG value of just 1.14, proving his goalscoring prowess.

FotMob Rating – 9.7

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