Although Verona and Spezia still have one last match to decide who stays and who goes, the 2022/23 Serie A season officially concluded on Sunday with Roma sealing a Europa League spot over Juventus – thanks to the superstar they signed from the Bianconeri for free, Paulo Dybala.
La Joya undoubtedly has a place in the final 2022/23 Serie A Team of the Season, which is unsurprisingly dominated by Napoli stars. But there may be some picks that surprise you in this all-star XI.
GK Ivan Provedel, Lazio: Alex Meret also had a fantastic season in goal for the Partenopei. At the same time, the likes of Wladimiro Falcone were excellent for sides that survived a relegation threat. Yet Ivan Provedel has to be recognized as the best goalkeeper in Serie A. For years, he helped Spezia stay afloat, and, now, he’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in Italy, Lazio.
No goalkeeper had a higher save percentage in Calcio than Provedel, whose 56.8 clean sheet percentage was only bested by the incomparable Marc-André ter Stegen in all of Europe’s top five leagues.
LB Carlos Augusto, Monza: One of the big breakout stars of the 2022/23 season, Carlos Augusto was a key attacking threat on the left-hand side of the Biancorossi formation. The 24-year-old scored six goals with five assists and is now earning looks from top clubs around Europe, including Juventus. Augusto also played a key role defensively with 2.1 tackles per game. He is one of the rising stars to watch at the left wing back position.
CB Kim Min-Jae, Napoli: The best center back in Serie A, Kim Min-Jae was elite from start to finish, proving to be one of the best signings of the summer in any league. Kim is a warrior in central defense and has all the tools you need to be one of the world’s best. He rarely misplaces a pass, wins nearly every header, and reads the game as well as any defender in the Italian top flight.
CB Danilo, Juventus: The lone true bright spot for Juventus, Danilo was easily the Bianconeri’s best player in 2022/23. Easily. As much as Bremer was hyped after being Serie A’s best defender in 2021/22 for crosstown rivals Torino, Danilo proved to be the significantly more consistent defender. He was elite on the ball with his passing, tried his best to impact the attack, and saved so many goals with his cool head under pressure.
The criticism Danilo receives from some people is absolutely uncalled for, but, unfortunately, many people do not truly appreciate great defending. Danilo is an essential leader for Juve and the one guy who steps up in every single big game. Instead of praising mediocrity like Adrien Rabiot and Filip Kostić, send the love to Danilo.
RB Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Napoli: Unquestionably the best right back in Serie A. Like Danilo, Giovanni Di Lorenzo was a vital leader for Napoli, though he stood out as a leader on a team of leaders. Di Lorenzo’s technical quality is up there with any right-sided defender on the planet. He defends at an elite level one-on-one, and he knows exactly how to set the tempo for the team in terms of his positioning. If Napoli need a goal, he is up the pitch, playmaking and overlapping. Usually, though, he sits back and reads the game like a midfielder, cutting out so many dangerous counters.
CM Ismaël Bennacer, Milan: One of the most underrated players in Serie A despite years of excellence, Ismaël Bennacer needs to be mentioned among the best midfielders in world football. Bennacer is just as valuable to Milan as Rafael Leão and Mike Maignan, because the Rossoneri also fall apart as a team without the Algerian. He averaged 1.5 key passes per game, as well as three combined tackles and interceptions per match. You will not find a better all-around presence in midfield in Serie A, with the possible exception of a crosstown rival who appears later on the list.
DM Stanislav Lobotka, Napoli: The metronome. Stanislav Lobotka is the kind of player you NEED in your side in order to win a championship. The breakout midfielder led Napoli in tackles per game and was their main passer, recycling possession in the build-up and providing the initial progressive passes that the Partenopei needed to create chances. When you have a player like this who defends space at a high level, rarely makes mistakes, and isn’t afraid to keep the ball to draw in players, then you can control almost any opponent.
CM Nicolò Barella, Inter: Barella is one of the most exciting players in Serie A. Sergej Miliknović-Savić may have the goals and assists advantage, but Barella still had six of both, in addition to playing at a much higher level in the most important matches.
Unlike others, Barella elevates his game against the big boys, showing energy and passion that so few players on this planet can match. He is a pitbull when it comes to winning the ball and can skip past challenges like a winger. Barella has been an X-Factor for Inter Milan in this highly successful season, which includes a Champions League Final appearance.
LW Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli: Undoubtedly the MVP of Serie A, and that’s saying something, considering the other two forwards in this front three were also beyond words. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, though, inspired an entire city like we have never seen before in decades – maybe not in any league.
The 22-year-old scored 12 goals with 10 assists, weaving his way in and around defenders to either cross to Victor Osimhen or score himself. There is almost nothing Kvaratskhelia can’t do on the wing, capable of finding the back of the net with either foot from any angle. His dribbling is a sight to behold, a blend of explosiveness and precision.
ST Victor Osimhen, Napoli: The most intelligent and effective striker in Serie A, Victor Osimhen has blown away any comparisons between himself and Dušan Vlahović while outshining another strong season from Inter’s Lautaro Martínez. Osimhen cruised to the Capocannoniere, scoring 26 goals and adding 4 assists for good measure. The Nigerian No. 9 is in the discussion for being the best 9 in the world with Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Robert Lewandowski.
RW Paulo Dybala, Roma: If someone were to award him the MVP over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, I would have a difficult time blaming them, because, without Paulo Dybala, Roma could have been a disaster this season. Another excellent signing but in a totally different way, Dybala proved a lot of people – not the least Juventus – wrong for giving up on him.
He battled through injuries to score 12 goals with 6 assists, producing many of those goal contributions out of absolutely nothing. Dybala dribbles like a winger, creates like a 10, and finishes like a striker. He is one of the best players Serie A has ever seen and showed that again this season.
