Throughout the decades, Italian football has always been ornamented by great striking partnerships that graced Serie A pitches. From Omar Sivori and John Charles at Juventus in the 1950s to the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez in the modern-day era, combining second strikers blessed with incredible flair with classic bombers has been a hallmark of Calcio.
In the current day and age, managers have become more inclined towards deploying a lone striker supported by a couple of wingers. This element limited the rise of classic striking duos. Nevertheless, this phenomena isn’t quite extinct just yet as proven by the glamorous names we’ll enlist below.
So let’s take a closer look at the Top 10 best striking partnerships in Serie A in the 2023/24 season.
10. Ciro Immobile & Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
Maurizio’s Sarri 4-3-3 formation might be a barren ground for the rise of striking partnership, but including Ciro Immobile in some shape or form is almost an obligation considering his status as a four-time Capocannoniere winner, even if he had to land at the very bottom of the list.
This season, the Italian bomber started on a slow note, prompting many to believe that his career is beginning to dwindle, while others would argue that his team’s inconsistent form isn’t helping his case.
Likewise, Mattia Zaccagni is yet to replicate his heroics from last season. So while this duo is yet to take flight this term, it remains one to keep an eye on in the long run.
9. Joshua Zirkzee & Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna)
With Marko Arnautovic gone, Joshua Zirkzee must now step to the plate and prove why he was considered among the most promising strikers in the world not so long ago. The former Bayern Munich man is already showing signs of improvement, much to the delight of Bologna supporters.
Nevertheless, Riccardo Orsolini remains the main toast of the town in the Emilian city. The Italy international is a fabulous winger who can leave opponents in his wake and score goals from all angles as evidenced by his recent hattrick against Empoli.
When these two players are on song, Thiago Motta’s side operates on a whole different level.
8. Charles De Ketelaere & Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
This is the only entree on the list that doesn’t feature a classic Number 9. Perhaps Gian Piero Gasperini will alternate his starting formation once Gianluca Scamacca regains his optimal physical condition, but at the moment, Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman are leading the charge for Atalanta.
The Belgian is originally an attacking midfielder or a second striker so you might find him dropping deep to help in the buildup, while the Nigerian tends to drift toward the flank. This deprives the opposition defenses of clear focal points to mark and allows midfielders like Teun Koopmeiners to surge forward and exploit the spaces created by the attacking duo’s smart movement.
So while it’s far from being a classic striking partnership, this one is causing headaches for Serie A managers.
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7. Andrea Pinamonti & Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
After struggling in his maiden campaign at the Mapei Stadium, Andrea Pinamonti has seemingly turned the page and is once again displaying the impressive form showcased during his time at Empoli.
Luckily for the Inter youth product, Domenico Berardi ended up staying at Sassuolo (yet again) despite being heavily linked with a transfer to Juventus.
Even though Alessio Dionisi applies a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system, it’s easy to identify Pinamonti and Berardi as an attacking pair since their attributes perfectly complement one another.
6. Mateo Retegui & Alfred Gudmundsson (Genoa)
This is the new striking partnership in town that is taking Serie A by storm. In the summer, Genoa managed to poach the services of the Mateo Retegui who had suitors all over Europe. Alberto Gilardino combined the Italo-Argentine bomber with the sensational Alfred Gudmundsson who’s proving to be the best revelation in the league this season.
The Icelandic has been unplayable at the start of the season, almost dribbling past his markers at will and making consistent goal-scoring contributions.
The Grifone will certainly struggle to keep their hold on either one by the end of the season.
5. Olivier Giroud & Rafael Leao (Milan)
With a Scudetto title under the belt and more than two years of fruitful collaboration, the Milan duo of Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao perhaps should have landed higher on the list. Missing out on a podium spot speaks volumes on the level of competition.
The Portuguese superstar is arguably the best baller in Italian football. On his day, he’s simply unplayable, a true menace for opposition defenders, especially when he storms from the left flank.
Nevertheless, many observers accredit Giroud for his ability to take the best out of his striking partners by holding up the ball and creating spaces for those around him. He operates in a similar role for the French national team, allowing the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann to shine bright.
4. Dusan Vlahovic & Federico Chiesa (Juventus)
Despite being teammates for several years between Fiorentina and Juventus, Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic never truly enjoyed an extended run side-by-side… till the start of this season. So contrary to general belief, this coordination remains relatively new.
But while the Italian might have all the desired characteristics in an out-and-out winger, Massimiliano Allegri is insisting on transforming him into a second striker to accommodate his 3-5-2 formation. To the manager’s credit, the early signs have been encouraging, with the Euro 2020 hero snatching four goals in the early rounds of the season.
This young striking partnership might eventually become the most fearsome in Serie A, however, these two men must overcome several challenges (physical, tactical and technical) and prove their prowess in the long run.
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3. Lautaro Martinez & Marcus Thuram (Inter)
This new partnership is a rather curious one as neither Lautaro Martinez nor Marcus Thuram is a classic Number 9. Yet, both men can thrive as centre-forwards.
As the Serie A goal-scoring charts will tell you, it’s the Argentine who’s currently bagging the goals at the moment, already netting ten in the first eight rounds of the campaign. However, the roles might be reversed at one point, once the Frenchman becomes more accustomed to Italian football.
Therefore, the dynamics in this one are purely fascinating, and by the end of the season, it might become the ultimate best-attacking force in the Italian Peninsula.
2. Romelu Lukaku & Paulo Dybala (Roma)
In terms of star power, this is easily the greatest striking partnership gracing Serie A pitches at the moment. After all, it’s the only one that features, not one, but two former winners of the Serie A MVP Award.
Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala could have played side-by-side at Juventus or Inter. However, the stars finally aligned for this mouth-drooling duo in the Eternal City under the blessing of José Mourinho.
If there has ever been a classic big-buy-small-guy partnership, this has to be it. These two superstars complement one another like few others do. The Argentine possesses all the flair and talent in the world, while the Belgian is a terrifying force of nature.
However, the main concern for Roma is certainly the injury record of the two strikers, Dybala in particular. A partnership is unlikely to flourish when one of its members is consistently out of action.
1. Victor Osimhen & Kvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
While any other striking duo from the Top Five has a claim for the top spot, the Napoli twins remain the remaining pair to beat until further notice.
This partnership combines last season’s Serie A top scorer with the league’s MVP. So despite the club’s underwhelming start of the season under Rudi Garcia’s guidance, it’s not enough to renounce Victor Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia as the best in Italian football.
The Nigerian is one of the most complete target men on the planet. His ability to beat his marker to the ball, in the air or on the ground, and capitalize on the narrowest of opportunities is second to none.
As for the Georgian sensation, he hasn’t been displaying his best football recently, but we have to remember that he’s only 22, so his current dip in form can simply be considered part of the learning process. Eventually, the winger will regain his optimal level and remind the world why he’s one of the most mesmerizing and brilliant talents on the planet.
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