Serie A 2017/18: The best XI of the season
The season of 2017/18 in the Italian top-flight was a renaissance of sorts. The league turned the theory of one-upmanship on its head and produced the tightest, and most fiercely contested race among the top five of Europe.
Juventus may have eventually prolonged their hegemony with an unprecedented 7th straight Scudetto, but it wasn’t without the frills by a gutsy Napoli side.
The likes of AS Roma and Lazio too light up the season with some effervescent attacking football, while Inter Milan’s Champions League return was a welcome sight.
But there were also plenty of individual performances that deserve a mention. These players starred for their respective clubs throughout the campaign and produced an overwhelming source of amusement to the fans with some eye-catching exploits.
Let’s club them all together into one, dream XI of Serie A, for the season 2017/18: (Formation: 4-1-3-2)
Goalkeeper: Pepe Reina (Napoli)
One of the most underrated goalkeepers, Reina continues to go strong even at 36. The Partenopei shot-stopper perhaps delivered some of the best performances of his career this season and played a huge role in his side’s successful league campaign.
With 18 clean sheets in 34 appearances - his best figures in a Napoli shirt - the Spaniard proved to be the safest pair of hands in the league.
He was also a commanding presence in the box never wilting under any pressure, while his ball distribution skills were unparalleled. Reina averaged 2.09 saves per goal and maintained an amicable 85% claim success.
Though the more eye-catching attacking exploits of Mertens, Insigne, Callejon and Hamsik normally walked away with all the plaudits, Reina’s contributions in mounting a sustained title assault were just as unprecedented.
He’s been through every thick and thin; an unflinching figure in the box whose brawny stature terrified the attackers.