Serie A and National: the goal paradox The European record is not enough for the Azzurri

While Italy paid for the offensive difficulties, the league is the most prolific in the continent The alarm after the 0-0 against Northern Ireland capable of condemning the Azzurri to the World Cup play-offs

TORINO

In the European championship where more goals are scored per game, there is a national team that finds itself with a painful scoring ache. If only a paradox, the first to smile would be the coach Roberto Mancini. And, instead, what resounds in Italy after the 0-0 against modest Northern Ireland, capable of condemning the Azzurri to the World Cup play-offs, is a red alert. Clinging to the top scorer Immobile is not enough, also because he is increasingly an isolated bomber in a tournament where there is a lack of Italians capable of scoring in bursts, and net of backfires (Mario Balotelli) or self-nominations (the Brazilian Joao Pedro of Cagliari has just taken the Italian passport), a solution will be found by Mancini in these four months.

The problem, however, is not related to Serie A, given that the tournament travels with an average of over 3 goals every 90 minutes played and a third of the season is a small continental record. After having abolished 0-0 draws, just 4, now the number of goals has multiplied in our stadiums: 367 have already been scored in 120 games (3.06 on average) and only the Bundesliga seems to keep up with 299 goals. in 99 matches (3.02), while surprisingly La Liga is the least prolific with 2.43 goals per game.

In Germany, great credit goes to Bayern Munich, the European team with the best percentage thanks to 40 goals in 11 games (3.64 on average), followed by Liverpool (2.82), Borussia Dortmund (2.54) and Chelsea (2.45) with the Italian leader Inter with 2.42 (29 goals in 12 stages). Curiously, the PSG of the super stars has scored 23 goals in 13 Ligue1 matches (2.23), paying for Messi’s fast that has yet to score in the French league (5 appearances and zero goals).

With us the teams score all and a lot, therefore, even if Juventus is sensationally missing from the appeal and finds itself with the 12th attack after having printed just 16 goals (only in 1999/2000 did it worse with 15). Allegri’s “cortomuso” seems almost obligatory, given the offensive performance after Ronaldo’s last minute departure, and tomorrow against Lazio the Juventus coach also risks not being able to count on Paulo Dybala (the best scorer in the league with 3 centers) in the direct clash with Sarri for a place in the Champions League. The Argentine number ten has no muscle injuries, but a strain on the posterior tibial muscle and no one wants to take risks on the eve of this tour de force (9 games in one month). There will certainly not be Ciro Immobile, with 10 goals in 11 games that have transformed him into the – solitary – manifesto of the championship with the most goals in Europe: a record that will please the Italian fans, a little less than the defenses of the 19 teams (Naples apart from that it has only suffered 4 goals: it is the best of the 5 main tournaments). Even if the national team is going stubbornly and in the opposite direction, Serie A is enjoying the change of pace. Thanks to a different mentality and also to the use of the Var, given that we also boast the primacy of penalties taken: 55 (of which 45 scored), against 45 in Spain (34 goals), 39 in France (37), 27 in Germany (21) and 25 in England (20). Numbers that help explain the turnaround, but most come from an offensive propensity that is enhancing young promises like Vlahovic (8 goals out of Fiorentina’s 16 are his) or teams voted to attack like Verona (25 goals) with Cholito Simeone (9 centers) to exalt. Wish they also had an Italian passport. –