Underrated striker is on track to set an impressive Serie A record

Ciro Immobile has been in top form this season and he is on track to set an impressive scoring record in Italian football.

Ciro Immobile has taken the Serie A by storm this season. With 23 goals in 20 games, the disparity between Immobile and the second-highest scorer in the Serie A, Cristiano Ronaldo, is six goals. Immobile won the Serie A Golden Boot award at the end of the 2013-14 campaign, in which he scored 22 goals for Torino, and he shared the crown with Mauro Icardi two seasons ago after they both found the back of the net on 29 occasions.

This season, Immobile is miles ahead of his competition and he is scoring for fun at a rate of one goal per 72 minutes of action. With 18 games left in the season, there is plenty of time for the Italian international to reach new heights in his career.

In the history of the top-tier of Italian football, only two players have ever scored more than 30 goals in a single season. Luca Toni was the first player to break the prestigious record during the 2005-06 Serie A campaign when he scored 31 goals for Fiorentina.

Joining him on that list exactly a decade later was Gonzalo Higuan. The Argentine striker scored a staggering total of 36 goals in his final season with Napoli. Higuain’s tally of 36 goals is the record for most goals scored in a single Serie A season. What is more impressive about that tally is the fact that Higuain scored all those goals in 35 appearances, which led to an average of one goal per game.

In the 2017-18 campaign, Immobile was one goal shy of breaking into that small, but elite club of strikers. Looking at Lazio’s remaining schedule, it is difficult to predict how many goals Immobile will score, and whether or not he will match or beat Higuain’s record. However, Immobile’s current form indicates that, barring any major injuries, he will become the third striker in the league’s history to score at least 30 goals in a single season.

Between now and the end of the season in mid-May, Lazio will face eight teams that are currently in the bottom half of the table, along with all three teams that are in the relegation zone. If Immobile can perform at an elite level in those games, there is no doubt that he will score the seven goals he needs to break the 30-goal mark.

Looking at his career statistics and the awards he has won, some of you are probably wondering why I label Immobile as underrated . He is the best striker in Italy this season, but players from Juventus and both Milan clubs tend to occupy a place among the domestic headlines on a regular basis. Moreover, I have never come across any reports that top clubs outside of Italy are interested in securing his services.

In my eyes, Immobile is a complete, dynamic striker who would have a meaningful impact on several notable clubs across Europe. The Italian will turn 30 next month, so his best years are behind him on paper, but he is performing like a player who is just now reaching his peak. Keep an eye on Immobile for the remainder of the season to see if he joins Toni and Higuain as the only strikers to score 30 or more goals in a Serie A season.

Do you think Immobile will reach the 30-goal mark this season? Let us know in the comments section below.