League Focus: Serie A Strike Rates Analysed

Sitting atop the Serie A table, their nearest rival already three points behind them in the title race, Juventus possess both the joint best attack and the meanest defence in the league. While many will point to Luca Maggiani’s flag as their most influential defender, it is The Old Lady’s attack that has come in for most criticism in the early days of this 2012-13 season.

The reigning champions are struggling to find their best combination of forwards from a group including Arsenal loanee Nicklas Bendtner, the returning Sebasitian Giovinco and the seemingly first choice striker Mirko Vucinic. There has been little room for last season’s leading goal scorer Alessandro Matri, apparently out of favour with Antonio Conte after squandering a number of golden chances to prove his quality and, surprisingly, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo lead the way for the Turin club this term with just three goals each.

It is a commonly held view that the lack of a potent regular scorer is the one missing piece in the current Bianconeri side, a fault often cited when looking at the string of disappointing performances in the Champions League. Utterly dominant domestically, they have faltered upon their return to Europe’s elite competition, drawing their opening three fixtures and making qualification from the Group Stages far from assured.

Of the strikers currently playing for the reigning Champions, Giovinco joins his midfield colleagues with three goals, but has taken 27 shots (3.4 per game, 9 per goal) to reach that figure; a statistic which only serves to highlight the profligacy on show in Turin. That feeling is only intensified when noting Vucinic has taken 22 attempts (2.8 per game) to net just two goals and Bendtner five without scoring. Fabio Quagliarella (two goals from 11 shots) and Matri (1 from 6 attempts on target) fare slightly better but their lack of playing time almost makes them a separate issue entirely.

The same stat perhaps shows yet another reason Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic would be a good fit for la vecchia Signora, his 44 shots (4.9 per game) to net five goals making him an ideal candidate to join Conte’s other misfiring frontmen. It is a vastly different story elsewhere however, with some truly deadly finishing on show and here, using figures available on WhoScored.com, are the top five marksmen in Serie A, limited to those who have netted a minimum of four goals.

5. Stephan El Shaarawy (Milan) Shots per Goal - 5

The 20 year old has been one of Milan's only bright spots this term and it is largely due to his return of six goals in nine games, settling into the Rossoneri side remarkably quickly and taking just 30 shots to manage that feat. He averages 3.3 shots per game and has also added a goal in the Champions League, becoming the first teenager ever to net for Milan in the top competition.

4. Edinson Cavani (Napoli) Shots Per Goal – 4.33

One of a number of names on this list that will surprise very few people, el Matador has netted a league high of six goals from 26 shots (3.3 per game). He has notched against Juventus, Parma and Sampdoria as well as a devastating hat-trick against high flying Lazio, proving he can score when it matters most. His absence against Chievo this past weekend saw the Partenopei struggle to break down a stubborn opponent, such is the constant threat he poses against tight defences.

3. Alberto Gilardino (Bologna) Shots Per Goal – 3.4

Reborn after taking Marco Di Vaio’s place in Stefano Pioli’s Felsinei, the team may be struggling in seventeenth place but Il Gila is thriving, scoring five goals from 17 shots (2.1 per game) and earning a recall to the national team under long term admirer Cesare Prandelli. He has scored in all three matches in which the Rossoblu have taken points this term, underlining his importance to his new side.

2. Miroslav Klose (Lazio) Shots Per Goal – 2.83

Joining Cavani atop the Capocannoniere charts, the only surprise from the German is that he isn’t top of this list after a blistering start which has seen him net six goals from 17 shots (1.9 per game). His superb strike-rate continues apace in the international arena, netting three goals in two World Cup Qualifiers for the Nationalmannschaft and drawing within a single strike of the legendary Gerd Müller’s record of 68 goals.

1. Antonio Cassano (Inter) Shots Per Goal – 1.6

A genuine shock to see FantAntonio here but he has netted five goals from just eight shots (0.9 per game) since swapping the red of Milan for the blue of Inter. Perhaps the only consolation for the Rossoneri is that his worst game of the season came against them in the Derby della Madonnina, lasting just 53 minutes against his former club. His goals have been a major factor in Inter’s incredible run of form, scoring in five separate matches, only one of which – the early season defeat to Roma – his team failed to win.