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.
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| 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."When Ronaldo arrived, I thought, 'I'm lucky to have already won the Capocannoniere twice!'"
This season, he can look to win his third Serie A top goalscorer award.
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