Ciro Immobile has had a memorable 2019/20 season, to say the least. For any striker, scoring goals is what makes them tick, and doing so more regularly than anyone else, over the course of a prolonged season is a life’s worth of dreams and hard work.
The Italian marksman secured his third Capocannoniere award as Lazio improved on their eighth-placed finish last season with an unlikely title fight that ended in fourth place in Serie A. Immobile, for his part, was directly involved in 45 of the total 79 goals that Simone Inzaghi’s men scored.
With a return to the UEFA Champions League already secured, Immobile’s goal in defeat at Napoli on the final day equaled Gonzalo Higuain’s 2016 record number of goals in a Serie A season (36). The goal also took him two clear of Robert Lewandowski for the European golden shoe award, breaking an 11-year stronghold on the award by La Liga players.
Finishing well ahead of seasoned goalscorers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku in Serie A is a massive feat, but scoring more than Lewandowski – in his most prolific campaign – as the highest goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues is truly amazing.
So how did he do it?
Immobile started the season in emphatic goalscoring form, impressively maintaining his consistency throughout the first half of the season and despite a barren December, he was able to regain his goal scoring touch and keep them coming.
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A lethal finisher off either foot, Immobile’s goal-scoring qualities have been harnessed – not least by Luis Alberto’s creativity – as Lazio sustained a winning run and a genuine title charge for large parts of the season.
The natural goal scorer also crucially stayed fit and it’s no coincidence that he has played the most League minutes of his senior career (3176) in his most prolific campaign of a goal-laden career. Infact, no outfield player in Lazio’s squad played more games.
His workrate and ability to perform in several areas in the final third were vital for Lazio, making him more than just a finisher. Thus, Immobile is an attacking force for I Biancocolesti, he possesses good linkup play and creates chances for teammates as his nine assists earned him a top-five place amongst Serie A’s top playmakers.
King Ciro’s prowess from 12 yards was also commendable, as Lazio were awarded the most penalties in Europe’s top five leagues (18), the striker took 15 and scored an incredible 14 of them.
For the man born in the Naples area, making Serie A goal scoring history close to his hometown would have felt like a full cycle of emotions as he consolidated a stunning individual campaign.
In his own words “dreams do come true”, now, would a top team be willing to take on this goalscorer in his prime?
