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Serie A 2021-22 season has been an enthralling one so far. It has been more open than it ever was in the last 10 years. Juventus' monopoly broke last season and we now have Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli fighting it out for the Scudetto.
There has been multiple leaders at the top but defending champions Inter Milan have gradually reclaimed their pole position. They have established a slender lead of four points with one game in hand, and it looks like they are again going to be the team to beat for the Scudetto.
Serie A has seen some exceptional individual performances this season
We have witnessed some absolutely sensational individual performances in Serie A this season. Players like Dušan Vlahović, Ciro Immobile, Lautaro Martínez and Lorenzo Insigne are having an exceptional season. They are pushing the standard of individual performance in Italy to the very top.
However, they are top players out of whom top performances are expected. There are also players who are not in the limelight and expectations from them are low. There are players like these every season who exceed expectations and put in the hard work of punching above their weight.
On that note, let's take a look at the players who are exceeding expectations in Serie A this season.
#5 Aaron Hickey (Bologna)
In recent years we have seen an import of English talent in Serie A, but it is one Scottish talent that has been making a lot of noise lately. Unsurprisingly, it is another exponential left back from Scotland. What is it that the Scots are feeding their left-backs (Andy Robertson of Liverpool and Kieran Tierney of Arsenal are both brilliant at their jobs)?
Aaron Hickey joined Bologna from Heart of Midlothian in 2020, and has truly risen to the occasion this season. The 19-year-old has been solid defensively and scored four goals in the league while bombing forward.
The Scottish’s overlapping runs from the left side have drawn him comparisons with his senior compatriot Andy Robertson.
Aaron Hickey’s stake has risen exponentially in the last few months and has attracted a host of Premier League clubs. Steven Gerrard is said to be a great admirer of the left back since his Heart of Midlothian days. He is reportedly a key transfer target for Aston Villa in the summer, despite the Villans signing Lucas Digne in January.
# 4 Antonio Candreva (Sampdoria)
The Italians are definitely drinking some magic potion which others are not. They just keep getting better with age. Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Gianluigi Buffon and Antonio Di Natale are just some of the names who have performed at the top level well into the twilight of their careers.
Antonio Candreva, who is soon going to turn 35, seems to have had the same magic potion.
The Sampdoria winger, who has been playing in Serie A for more than 12 years now, has always been underrated. Candreva made a name for himself at Lazio, which earned him a move to Internazionale. He then switched to his current team Sampdoria in 2020.
Jumping into the 2021-22 season, Candreva is having one stellar campaign. The veteran has contributed to 11 goals in Serie A so far this season for the Blucerchiati, with six goals and five assists. He also sits on top in terms of key passes in the league.
Sampdoria are not having a good season and are just three points off the relegation zone. They will be hoping that Candreva’s good form continues and guides them to safety come May.
# 3 Giovanni Simeone (Hellas Verona)
Many fans might recognize Giovanni Simeone as the eldest son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone. However, few will be aware that the 26-year-old has been in exceptional form for Hellas Verona in Serie A this season.
Simeone has scored 12 goals in 22 games so far and also has four assists to his name. This exceptional form is one of the major reasons why Igor Tudor’s side have been punching above their weight in the league this season.
Fondly called Cholito, Simeone’s form in the last two years (prior to this season) has been poor. He scored just six goals for Cagliari last season and many thought his chances of making a top-level career were over. However, with him finding his feet on loan at Verona, this might finally be the season he takes it to the next level.
Verona fans will be hoping that their star striker’s fine form can inspire the club into European football next season.
#2 Tammy Abraham (AS Roma)
The striker, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Thomas Tuchel, has outscored the big money striker (Romelu Lukaku) who was bought in by Chelsea to score goals.
Tammy Abraham moved from his boyhood club Chelsea to AS Roma in the summer of 2022. He wanted regular playing time and a manager who showed confidence in his abilities. Jose Mourinho, who often gets the best out of his strikers, had the same effect on Abraham.
Although it was a slow start for the English forward in Italy, he soon turned it around. In fact, no Englishman has scored more goals than him this season. He has been involved in 21 goals for the Giallorossi in all competitions, 17 goals and four assists in 30 games.
The 24-year-old striker has surprised a lot of people with his goal scoring exploits and neat link-up play. He has hit form at the right time with the World Cup being less than a year away and it will be hard for Gareth Southgate to ignore him.
#1 Gleison Bremer (Torino)
Last season Torino were a whisker away from getting relegated but this season has been a turnaround for the Toro as they currently sit ninth in the table. The team that had the fifth worst defensive record last season now has the fourth-best defensive record in the league. A major chunk of credit must go to Brazilian centre-back Gleison Bremer.
Gleison Bremer joined Torino from Atletico Minero in the summer of 2018. He became a regular starter for the club in his second season. In the last 12 months, he has blossomed into one of the best centre-backs in Italy.
The 24-year-old defender is known for his aggressiveness, aerial ability and good sense of positioning. He has the most recoveries in the league and has the most interceptions across Europe this season. He is at the top of almost every other defensive statistic in the league. Don’t be surprised if you see him in the Serie A Team of the Yea this season.
Bremer recently signed a contract extension with Torino until June 2024, but it is highly unlikely that he will stay in Turin next season. Big clubs like Liverpool, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are reported to be interested in signing him
