SOLITAIRE REVIEW: Filippo Inzaghi’s Salernitana vs. AC Milan, an analysis covering tactics and statistics
Filippo Inzaghi’s team needs to turn things around if they hope to accomplish a minor athletic miracle. They are now last in the standings, having won just 8 points from 16 games.
Hellas Verona from the previous season and Salernitana from 2021–2022 both made a valiant bid to stay up in the season’s last game, but only two of the thirty teams that had only amassed eight points at this time were able to avoid relegation at the end of the campaign.
Immediately taking action is necessary to reverse the Granata comeback: The last 17 league games, including the last three, have seen Salernitana lose 11 of them (1W, 5D). Since the November–December 2021 season, when Stefano Colantuono was still in the dugout, they have not experienced four consecutive losses.
THE GRANATA ACCEPT CHANGES AND DO NOT CAPITALISE ON THEM
The league standings of Salernitana under Paulo Sousa and the recently appointed Filippo Inzaghi illustrate the team’s extreme struggles this season. Granata’s 34 goals conceded, including 4 in the most recent match against Atalanta, make them the worst defense in the league. Their 12 goals from active play rank second, behind Empoli’s 10. These figures bear witness to the problems that plague every aspect of their game, beginning with match administration.
As they are the team that has let up the most goals in the first (15) and last (15) minutes of games, they typically get off to a bad start and end up with a worse record. Not only have they hit the woodwork nine times this season less than Napoli and Frosinone (10 each) but they have also experienced a measure of misfortune.
A little pessimism, seen in the conversion rate of 6.98% the second lowest in the league, after Empoli’s 5.81%) coincides with the bad luck, to be sure. An attitude of submission has made the Campani problems worse. With only 76 deep recoveries and 6 chances created from the same position, none of which resulted in a goal, the Granata are the team with the fewest recovery rates.
Only Cagliari and Udinese (5 apiece) have committed as many errors that have resulted in an opponent goal to complete the picture. This Serie A season, they have made four errors.
SEEKING REDEMPTION ARE CANDREVA-DIA, TARNISHED LEADERS
Salernitana’s charismatic and technically proficient leaders are all they have to cling to during trying times. Ever essential to the Granatas’ success, Antonio Candreva might be able to save them.
Together with helping the team score one goal and two assists in each of the past three league goals, the winger leads the Campania club in assists (3), chances created for teammates (27), shots on target (13), and crosses produced (88). With three goals and four assists versus AC Milan, he has a respectable record beyond his undeniable attacking prowess.
The leading scorer for Granata with four goals, Boulaye Dia, is also called upon in the hopes of redemption. Dia’s health problems have kept him from making a breakthrough this season.
With 24 goals with Reims in Ligue 1, 20 with Salernitana in Serie A, and 5 with Villarreal in La Liga, the Senegalese star is just one goal away from reaching the historic 50 goals total throughout the top 5 European Leagues.
Erling Haaland and Elye Wahi were beaten by him in the top 5 European leagues by his 33.3% conversion rate, which was higher than that of any other player who scored at least 15 goals in the previous season. It will now have to return to these kinds of international averages in order to save Salernitana.