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Assist makers are key components of any football team. Serie A, the top football league in Italy, is once again gaining popularity around the world as being one of the more competitive leagues.
For years, Juventus dominated the league, and no team came close to the side from Turin. The COVID-19 pandemic affected Italy heavily, and the teams are still taking time to recover from financial loss.
The pandemic has served as a leveler for the top teams in Italy, and over the last two seasons, the league has seen Inter Milan AC Milan win once each.
Quality is spread more evenly across the teams, and amongst those players are some of Europe's best providers. Mentioned below are the five players that got the most assists in Serie A during the 2021–22 season.
#5 Luis Alberto - 10 assists
Luis Alberto is a 29-year-old midfielder who plays for Lazio, who are managed by Maurizio Sarri. Last season, he made 34 appearances for the club in Serie A, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists.
Lazio finished fifth in the league and missed out on Champions League football, but it was a decent first season for Sarri. Alberto mostly played alongside Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, occupying the left-hand side of the midfield.
Sarri's teams are known to score goals, and Lazio were the second-highest goal-scorers in the league with 77 goals. Once a Liverpool player, Alberto has found his footing in Italy and has also captained Lazio. The Spaniard is a key player for Sarri.
#4 Sergej Milinković-Savić - 11 assists
Sergej Milinković-Savić had a stellar season under Sarri for Lazio. The 27-year-old Serbian made 37 appearances in Serie A, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists. A more robust midfielder than Alberto, he covered the right-hand side of the midfield and patrolled box-to-box.
Milinković-Savić has been a key player for Lazio for years, but Sarri has unlocked his full potential. The player is the perfect central midfielder for any team. He can score goals and create for others, but he is also combative in midfield and likes to defend.
The Serbian has always attracted interest from the bigger teams in Europe, but Lazio have managed to keep hold of him so far. Whether he stays at Lazio for next season is yet to be seen.
#3 Nicolò Barella - 12 assists
Inter Milan scored 84 goals in Serie A last season, so it is only fair that a few of their players created the most assists in the league.
Nicolò Barella made 34 appearances for Inter, scoring three goals and providing for 12. Barella played on the right-hand side of the midfield and liked to link up with Denzel Dumfries.
Barella is 25 years old and entering his fourth year as an Inter Milan player, making him one of Simone Inzaghi's most trusted players.
With Romelu Lukaku back at the club, Barella is expected to rack up goal contributions. A key player for club and country, he is one of the best midfielders in European football.
#2 Hakan Çalhanoglu - 12 assists
Hakan Çalhanoglu signed from city rivals AC Milan last summer and had a strong season at Inter despite not winning the Scudetto. The Turkish midfielder made 34 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists.
Mostly playing as a central attacking midfielder, he spent most of his time behind the striker or out wide on the right-hand side. Romelu Lukaku will be ecstatic to work with two great creators in Çalhanoglu and Barella.
Serie A's defenses are robust, but they allow too much space behind their defensive line. This makes it easier for midfielders to deliver passes and for forwards to run onto those passes. Inter Milan are going to be interesting to watch next season.
#1 Domenico Berardi - 14 assists
Sassuolo finished 11th in Serie A last season, largely due to their poor defense, but Domenico Berardi was once again a shining light.
The 27-year-old made 33 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals and providing 14 assists. It is a bit surprising why none of the more famous clubs in Italy have come in for the player in recent seasons.
Berardi is a right winger and not a midfielder like the players mentioned above. He likes to take on players and enter the box, but also has a good eye for the pass.
With two years left on his contract, it would not surprise me if he did move to a bigger club this summer or next summer, but for now, he is Sassuolo's shining light.
