There is absolutely no doubt that Serie A has been blessed with a wealth of attacking talent for the coming season, the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus very much set to be the icing on the cake. The battle to be Italy’s top scorer will be fiercely contested this season, the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens, Mauro Icardi, Arkadiusz Milik and Ciro Immobile all joining CR7 in the battle for the Capocannoniere crown.
However, such prowess from forward players must not overshadow those players who battle in the backline yet also weigh in with goals, and the following looks at Serie A’s highest-scoring defenders from 2017/18.
Stefan De Vrij - 6
Lazio were the highest scoring team of all last term, their tally of 89 even beating the 86 goals netted by league champions Juventus. Centre-back Stefan De Vrij was one to help their cause, his six-goal tally the highest of any Serie A defender in 2017/18, but the Biancocelesti will not be able to rely on the Dutchman for the new campaign.
He has made the move to Inter as a free agent after his contract expired this summer, the Nerazzurri fortunate indeed to benefit from his skills in the final third as well as defensively. Opposition defences should look out for his 6’2” frame at set pieces, as he registered three goals from inside the penalty area and three from in the six yard box.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 5
After having starred at the World Cup with Senegal as well as for Napoli in domestic action, Kalidou Koulibaly emerged as a defender of the highest quality, with Partenopei owner Aurelio De Laurentiis having admitted that an offer of €100 million was rejected this summer.
Such a high value is undoubtedly due to his all-round ability, the 27-year-old comfortable on the ball as well as strong in the tackle. He would fire in five goals in 2017/18, and is certainly one to watch in terms of contribution to the scoreline for the coming campaign.
They are now within 1 point, after beating league leaders Juventus 1-0! ⚽️
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It was Koulibaly that rose above all others to head home the decisive last-minute goal in Napoli’s first ever win at Juventus stadium back in April, a truly dramatic moment in the Serie A title race that would ultimately see his side come up short.
The Best of the Rest - 4
While De Vrij and Koulibaly topped the list of goals scored by defenders, four others managed to register four goals apiece. Milan Skriniar of Inter is certainly the best quality defender of the group that also includes Bastos from Lazio, Torino defender Lorenzo De Silvestri and veteran Andrea Masiello of Atalanta.
It is worth noting that Bastos was the only aforementioned player to have scored one of his total from outside the box, and he achieved this in only 16 appearances and 1232 minutes, around half that of any of the others in this list. With the signing of Francesco Acerbi from Sassuolo, the Angolan will once again likely play a bit-part role, however he has already proven he can make an impact from limited opportunities.
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