A list has been compiled by Calciomercato of the best Serie A XI of the season so far but only including the league’s youngest home-grown players.
Pescara goalkeeper Mattia Perin has been included in the side for his impressive performances for the Delfini as he maintains his reputation as yet another classy young goalkeeper bring nurtured by the peninsula.
He has been so good this campaign that he was even called up to Cesare Prandelli’s senior Italy squad for the friendly against England.
In front of him, AC Milan’s Mattia De Sciglio has been a revelation for the Rossoneri at full-back and has been so good that Ignazio Abate has not been missed much. His position at full-back has of course though led to the inevitable Paolo Maldini comparisons some of which are merited based on his classy displays.
Azzurini star Ciro Capuano of Catania also takes his place in the side and he has been one of the league’s unsung heroes given his intelligence on defensively and also danger going forward.
There were also many question marks about whether or not Angelo Ogbonna could prove himself in Serie A but there is no question that the 24-year-old has managed to do so with the defender a major factor behind their five clean sheets so far this campaign.
In a very attacking side, the next player to feature is hard-working Genoa midfielder Andrea Bertolacci who has been one of the few positives for the Grifoni in a poor season although if ever a player deserved to hit the headlines it was he, and he managed to do so with the winning goal in their win over Atalanta last weekend.
La Dea’s own Giacomo Bonaventura has forged a formidable midfield partnership at the Azzurri d’Italia this season with Luca Cigarini and has been very impressive for Atalanta and is finally living up to the promise he showed while in the Italian u-21 side.
Of course, Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi was always going to be assured of his own place in the team given his sudden burst on to the scene this year with his header against Inter at San Siro early in the campaign and he has only gone from strength to strength since.
Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli also gains a place in the team as does Ciro Immobile and although neither of the strikers has been as prolific as they were in Serie B with Pescara, both have been excellent in fits and starts, this is understandable given the step up in opposition.
The inclusion of Mattia Destro also seems a surprising one given that he has not always been a prominent starter for Roma and given that he has only scored twice and has been sent off once.
Having Stephan El Shaarawy in such a side was a no-brainer though of course given that the AC Milan striker is currently the league’s top scorer with 10 goals.
Serie A Young Italian XI: Perin (Pescara), De Sciglio (AC Milan), Ogbonna (Torino), Capuano (Catania), Bertolacci (Genoa), Bonaventura (Atalanta), Florenzi (Roma), Insigne (Napoli), Immobile (Genoa), Destro (Genoa), El Shaarawy (AC Milan).
