Serie A 2018/19: Top goalscorers this season

Modified Dec 27, 2018 13:29 GMT

For the first time in Italian top flight football, matches were played on Boxing Day. The Serie A adopted Premier League's festive tradition after noticing a high level of attendances. They carried out a successful pilot last year in Serie B before implementing the same on Serie A.

While attendances did not disappoint, there was no shortage of quality either. Napoli and Juventus both dropped points, but it was the latter that avoided defeat to move nine points clear at the summit.

Serie A has some exceptional strikers and here we take a look at who makes the top five list at the end of Matchweek 18?

#5 Mauro Icardi, Duvan Zapata and Francesco Caputo (All on 9 goals each)

Inter Milan needed a late winner to beat Napoli in a highly contentious encounter at the Giuseppe Meazza. Mauro Icardi, Inter's top scorer failed to add to his nine league goals, but he went very close in the opening seconds of the match when he went for goal straight from kick-off and needed a late intervention from Napoli's goalkeeper and crossbar to keep his effort out. Icardi's inability to find the net did not impact Inter as they managed to clinch all three points when substitute Lautaro Martinez scored in the injury-time.

Elsewhere in Bergamo, Atalanta's Duvan Zapata scored twice against the champions Juventus to take his tally to nine goals. The Colombian scored either side of the half and had also three assists to his name this season.

Francesco Caputo's Empoli suffered an absolute hammering at the hands of Torino on Boxing Day. The 31-year-old has scored an impressive nine goals this season but was unable to add to his goal account as his side were beaten 3-0.

#4 Ciro Immobile, Lazio (10 goals)

Lazio's Ciro Immobile finished as joint top scorer last season along with Mauro Icardi with 29 league goals. This time, the Italian has scored 10 league goals, but his last strike was a penalty in a chaotic draw against Sampdoria almost three weeks ago.

The Biancocelesti have won back-to-back league games to move inside the top four in the Serie A table.

#3 Fabio Quagliarella, Sampdoria (11 goals)

Fabio Quagliarella's brilliant goalscoring return is a further reminder of how great a striker he is. The 35-year-old scored again on Boxing Day as Sampdoria ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against Chievo.

He has now scored in each of his last four league matches and continues to show age is just a number. It is not just the goals that he is scoring, but he also has an impressive 5 assists to his name.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus (12 goals)

It was only inevitable that Cristiano Ronaldo was the man to save Juventus' blushes against Atalanta. The 10-men from Turin were trailing to Duvan Zapata's double in Bergamo when the Portuguese headed in from close range to secure an unlikely point for the champions.

That goal helped maintain Juventus' unbeaten start in the league and it proved crucial as they moved 9 points clear of second-placed Napoli who lost to Inter.

Ronaldo's 129 minutes per goal ratio is one of the highest in the league this season. His 88 shots at goal is the highest of any player in Serie A.

#1 Krzysztof Piatek, Genoa (13 goals)

Piatek is now commonly known as the man outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo in Serie A. The Polish striker plays for lowly Genoa, who occupy 14th spot in the Serie A table. That has not prevented him from finding the back of the net an incredible 13 times. His transfer value has risen to €50m with the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona keeping an eye on him. He was unable to prevent his Genoa side from falling to Cagliari on Boxing Day.

Edited by Sujith M