After 19 games in Serie A and 19 more to go, it’s time to look back and evaluate who has won and lost, who has made the best signing, and so on. Inter currently leads the way with 48 points, with Juventus only two points behind. Milan is third, nine points back, with Fiorentina the surprise top-four team, 15 points behind the leaders.
Who are our awards for the first half of the season?
Best player: Lautaro Martinez.
Who, if not him? Lautaro Martinez has been the league’s finest player until now. He scored 16 goals in 17 appearances and was an important player for Inter, who were clearly hampered while he was unavailable and injured. Lautaro has progressed dramatically in the year since winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. His mindset shifted, and his influence on the field became much more constant week after week. Furthermore, he became the face of Inter when he was named captain of the Nerazzurri in the summer of 2023, when former captain Samir Handanovic retired from professional soccer.
Most disappointing player: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
In this occasion, I had to choose a Napoli player because the current Serie A champions are the most disappointing team of the season. Kvaratskhelia’s figures are not horrible (five goals and three assists), but his performances cannot be compared to those of last season. He is undoubtedly not Napoli’s only problem, as the Italian club fired Rudi Garcia in November following a dismal start to the season. However, since Walter Mazzarri took over at Napoli, things have not improved, and Kvaratskhelia’s recent performances reflect the team’s poor form.
Best signing: Christian Pulisic.
Christian Pulisic, the USMNT winger, is the season’s best signing thus far. AC Milan purchased Pulisic from Chelsea in the summer for roughly €22 million, and he will start this season under Stefano Pioli. Pulisic scored six goals and assisted five times in 17 games in the Italian Serie A. Some goals were also significant, such as those scored away against Genoa in the dying minutes of the game or at San Siro against Sassuolo in late December. So far, only nice things to say about the American international’s season debut in the Italian league.
Most disappointing signing: Renato Sanches
In terms of signings, we can’t say the same for former Bayern Munich star Renato Sanches, who joined AS Roma on loan from PSG but will most likely leave the Giallorossi this winter if the proper opportunity arises. Jose Mourinho was unable to find a position for the Portuguese midfielder in the club, and owing to injuries, he only played five games and 117 minutes for AS Roma. In fact, against Bologna on December 17, Mourinho substituted Renato Sanches barely 19 minutes after deciding to bring him on during the second half. Sanches hasn’t played for his current team since then.
Best manager: Thiago Motta.
Bologna are the season’s biggest surprise thus far. The Thiago Motta-coached team wowed with their play and performance against the larger teams. In fact, Bologna is currently in contention to finish in the top four of the league this season, which is no coincidence given his work. He began a new cycle at the club after making the difficult choice to break company with Sinisa Mihajlovic in September 2022. Motta is one of the top coaches in the country, and it’s possible that numerous European clubs will try to hire him this summer after he’s led this team to unexpected heights.
Best young talent: Joshua Zirkzee.
Motta could not accomplish it by himself. Joshua Zirkzee has been one of the greatest players this season so far. The former Bayern Munich striker has shown great progress in recent months and has been far more consistent than in the past. Zirkzee is the team’s most gifted player, and likely one of the best in the league. He had seven goals and two assists in 19 games. An extraordinary influence that is pushing Bologna to compete for a European spot.
Marcus Thuram is the best free agent.
AC Milan and Inter struggled for days to sign Marcus Thuram as a free agent in the summer of 2023, and we now know why. The French striker has been one of the league’s most dominant players, scoring seven goals and providing six assists. The collaboration with Lautaro is going great, perhaps better than we expected. In fact, he joined to replace both Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku, who decided not to sign with Inter again this summer. The Nerazzurri faithful are overjoyed to see Thuram wearing their colors and expect big things from him in the coming months.
Best goal scored: Federico Dimarco
Federico Dimarco of Inter scored against Frosinone back in November. I can’t imagine anything better.
Best assistance: Victor Osimhen.
It is not a goal, but Victor Osimhen’s assist deserves to be here. Take a look at this unique demonstration of ability:
