Check out here the Serie A team of the season 2021-22. AC Milan won the 2021-22 season and it is their 19th title.
GOALKEEPER
M. Maignan GK – AC Milan:
Gianluigi who? Perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to Mike Maignan is that there has been very little talk of Gigi Donnarumma around Milan since the Italy goalkeeper departed for PSG last summer. The Frenchman has had a hugely impressive debut season in Italy since arriving from Lille, keeping 15 clean sheets in 36 Serie A games, including four in a row recently to help the Rossoneri cling on to the top spot. He even notched an assist against Sampdoria in February, while his clean sheet per game percentage of 41% is the best in the division among goalkeepers with more than four appearances.
DEFENDERS
T. Hernandez LB – AC Milan:
Hernandez’s bombing runs from left-back have become a trademark of Stefano Pioli’s Milan side, with the Frenchman earning a well-deserved reputation as one of the best-attacking full-backs in the business. That has continued this season, with Hernandez producing four goals and six assists and continuing to surge through the middle of the pitch at will when given a chance, but the 24-year-old has worked on the defensive side of his game too under Pioli and surely is among the top 5 full-backs in world football.
K. Koulibaly CB – Napoli:
It is surprising how Kalidou Koulibaly is still playing for Napoli and not for one of the top European clubs. The Senegalese center-back is arguably one of the best defenders in Serie A right now. With his aggression, effective tackling, and aerial abilities, Koulibaly has a very dominant presence at the back. His tackling against dribbling players has been a delight to watch. In the 2021-22 season, he has won 18 tackles, out of which 16 have come on the defensive third of the pitch. The mountainous defender, nicknamed ‘K2’, has quite simply mastered his position better than any other player in the league – and better than most defenders in the world.
M. Skriniar CB – Inter Milan :
Skriniar, who formed an integral part of Conte's 2020/21 Serie A winning Inter Milan side, has been on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs over the past couple of seasons and maintained his great form this campaign. Skriniar joined Inter in 2017 from Serie A side Sampdoria Genoa and has gradually grown into one of the best defenders in Italian top-flight football. The defending champion is still trying to catch Milan, who's sitting at the top of the table with a 2-point gap with 2 match days left while writing this and Inter needs Skriniar in top form to do so.
MIDFIELDERS
N. Barella CM – Inter Mian:
Nicolo Barella isn't just one of the best young players in Italy, he's up there with the best midfielders in world football. He was unable to show his abilities on the world stage due to being suspended for both legs of Inter's Champions League defeat to Liverpool but in the league, he's constantly showing why he has been linked with moves to Liverpool in the summer. A product of the Cagliari youth academy, Barella excels in quality passing and is more than capable of bringing the ball forward from midfield. He has also shown to be incredibly good at shooting from distance and is capable of playing as a 10, or as a box-to-box midfielder, due to his versatility as a playmaker and as an energetic battler. If a club is planning on securing Barella’s signature this summer, it will cost a pretty penny, as he is established as one of the best players in Serie A, and a vital part of Inter’s team.
Milinkovic-Savic CM – Latium:
Milinkovic-Savic is enjoying his most productive season ever under Maurizio Sarri, and his recent form is a reminder of why he's long been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs. The Serbian international has been involved in more goals than any other midfielder in the league, scoring 10 and assisting eleven, but he's developed the defensive side of his game too. The Lazio man boasts the third-highest average distance covered per match in Serie A and sits at number nine in the rankings for ball recoveries, but seven of the eight players above him are defenders. He's become the complete midfielder.
L. Pellegrini CAM – Roma FC:
There was a lot of untapped potential in Lorenzo Pellegrini and the promise of a great future. There were more than glimpses but less than concrete proof. In 2021, the Italian really came into his own, showing his true colors and class. He has relished the opportunity to captain Roma and has emerged as one of the best captains in Serie A this season. The 25-year-old has exhibited his versatility throughout the year playing in different midfield roles.
FORWARDS
D. Berardi RW – Sassuolo:
Even by his high standards, Berardi has been remarkably productive at Sassuolo this season under new coach Alessio Dionisi. The winger already has a career-high 13 league assists to his name, while has scored 14 league goals, three shy of his personal best seasonal tally of 17 that he set last year. Berardi has long been linked with a move to a bigger club without anything coming to fruition, but his superb performances this season will surely attract admiration once again this summer.
R. Leao LW – AC Milan:
Rafael Leao is one of the best Serie A players of the season. The Portuguese striker confirmed his skills and potential over the year and he was fundamental in most of the matches won by Rossoneri this year. The feeling is that he can only improve but already this season he's shown tremendous growth. Every week for Milan, Leao can be found driving forward with the ball at his feet, creating space for himself and others. Players like Ibrahimovic or Giroud might get the spotlight for playing at the point of attack, but it's Leao's ability to run with the ball that puts Zlatan and Giroud under the lights.
C. Immobile ST – Latium:
The Lazio captain is on course to become only the second player to win four Serie A top scorer crowns, after 1950s AC Milan legend and five-time winner Gunnar Nordahl. The striker may struggle in an Italy shirt, but his record at the club level is impossible to argue with; he currently sits at the top of the scoring charts with 27 goals in 31 games. Spells at Juventus and Dortmund earlier in his career never worked out, but the Euro 2020 winner seems a man content with his place in the world. At Lazio, he's achieved god-like status already though.
Vlahovic ST – Piemonte Calcio:
Vlahovic has taken some time to settle at Juventus since his €66,6 million January move from Fiorentina, but the Serbian international has shown this season that he isn't far from taking a place among Europe's elite strikers. He currently sits second in the Serie A scoring charts, with 23 goals, and although Juventus is far from winning the title this season, Vlahovic lived up to the hype since switching clubs and has a bright future ahead of him.
SUBS & RESERVES
F. Tomori CB – AC Milan:
Another on-point signing from Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara in 2021. The Englishman started 2021 as a Chelsea benchwarmer, but is now considered as one of the most reliable center backs in the land of legendary defenders. The 24-year-old built a great understanding with Simon Kjaer, and was helping his captain Romagnoli regain his best form during Dane's absence. One of the best defenders in Serie A this season and a huge reason his side is chasing the Serie A title.
Calhanoglu CM – Inter Milan:
Last summer was full of unexpected moves in Serie A's transfer window. After Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest during the Euros left him unable to play for Inter, the team decided to sign Hakan Calhanoglu who was without a team after failing to reach an agreement with AC Milan to extend his contract. The Turkish player immediately became a key player for Simone Inzaghi. Despite some ups and downs, he was very consistent and scored important goals including penalties against AC Milan and Juventus. Creatively, Calhanoglu is 3rd in Serie A with 63 chances created this season and has been involved in 17 goals (seven goals, eleven assists) in Serie A this season; among midfielders, only Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (20) has been involved in more.
L. Martinez ST – Inter Milan:
It's no surprise that Argentinian striker Lautaro Martinez is a key player for Inter Milan and Simeone Inzaghi. Martinez has done well to help his side stay in contention for defending their title and with two more match days remaining, Inter are in with a chance to clinch the Scudetto. When Lukaku moved to Chelsea last summer, Martinez was given the responsibility of leading the attack. The 24-year-old has so far done a very good job, sitting third in the goalscoring charts with 19 goals.
G. Simeone ST – Hellas Verona:
On loan from Cagliari, Giovanni Simeone is having a memorable time with Hellas Verona. The Argentine center-forward has been in brilliant form this season. The 26-year-old striker has scored 16 goals with 2 match days left this season for Verona and is the fourth-highest goal-scorer in Serie A right now, courtesy of his clinical finishing. Given his superb form, it looks likely that Hellas Verona might make the loan move permanent at the end of the season, being prepared to trigger his €12m buy option.
Also Read | Premier League team of the season 2021-22
