Ciro Immobile: Europe’s top marksman with a point to prove



That the top marksman in Europe’s top five leagues is not Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, might surprise a few this season. The current joint-top scorer (alongside Robert Lewandowski), Ciro Immobile’s name would surprise quite a few more.

With 19 goals in 17 league games, the Italian has been nothing but full of goals for Lazio.
Immobile started 2020 with a double against Brescia, in a 2-1 win which was soiled by another disgusting incident of racist abuse in Italian football, towards Brescia’s Mario Balotelli.

Beyond his late-winner against Brescia, Immobile is Indeed leading the charge for third-placed Lazio who are on a nine-game winning run in Serie A.

The striker is potent with 4.1 shots per game and 1.6 key passes ( joint-second behind Lazio’s creator-in-chief Luis Alberto) producing five assists as they sit two points behind Inter Milan and Juventus.

His most-recent brace made him the first player since 1959 to score 19 in the first 17 games in the Italian league. The red-hot influence is also rubbing off on Simone Inzaghi’s men, who won the Coppa Italia last season and followed it up with the supercoppa Italiana last month.      
    


Immobile and Lazio have been flying this season. (Marco Rosi/Getty Images)
  
   
The latter was clinched via a second 3-1 win over Juventus in December, after first spoiling their unbeaten start to the league season at Stadio Olimpico.

Although crashing this season’s Serie A title race is exciting in itself, Immobile knows he needs to prove himself on an international stage.

Disastrous spells at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla – which yielded three goals in the Bundesliga and two in Spain – have so far blighted his career. 10 goals in 39 caps for Italy further highlight his scant form against non-Italian defences.

The striker turns 30 next month and is at the peak of his powers. Having scored more goals (86) than any player since his return to Serie A in 2016, Immobile has the chance to prove himself abroad.

Certainly a number of top clubs would be looking to add a big striker to their ranks in the summer. 

The goals and devastating frequency in Immobile’s numbers would make him the choice for most clubs. It is hoped that his previous experience and the confidence he has built-up back in Italy has made him a better player.

If he keeps up his current numbers, however, Immobile would no doubt walk into any team in Europe.

 "When Ronaldo arrived, I thought, 'I'm lucky to have already won the Capocannoniere twice!'"
               He said when the Portuguese joined Juventus in the summer of 2018.

This season, he can look to win his third Serie A top goalscorer award.

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