Serie A 2018/19: 3 reasons why Ronaldo should fear Quagliarella in the race to finish top-scorer
“There is no doubting Ronaldo’s quality but Serie A has thrown at him an unlikely competitor for the Capocannoniere award in the form of Quagliarella.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is like fine wine. He just keeps getting better with age. Having recently turned 34, the man doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. After almost a decade of dominance in LaLiga, Ronaldo decided to take up a new challenge with Juventus.
The highlight of his time at Real Madrid was his eternal rivalry with Lionel Messi. It was a healthy rivalry that brought the best out of him. Not only did it start the never-ending debate of who is better between Ronaldo and Messi, but also propelled the Portuguese to win 4 Ballon d’Ors, 4 Champions League titles, 4 UEFA Best Player awards, 2 LaLiga titles, 2 Spanish Cups, 2 Spanish Super Cups, 4 FIFA Club World Cups, and 3 UEFA Super Cups during his time at Real Madrid.
The constant desire to be the best helped him achieve enormous success in his career. No one expected Ronaldo to face much competition in the Italian league in terms of goalscoring. Yet here we are, after 22 rounds in the Serie A with Ronaldo leading the scoring charts with 17 goals followed by a certain Fabio Quagliarella who has 16.
For those who are unaware, Quagliarella is a 36-year-old striker who plays for Sampdoria. Having made his Serie A debut for Torino in 2000, the striker went on to play for Fiorentina, Chieti, Ascoli, Sampdoria, Udinese, Napoli and Juventus.
He returned to Sampdoria in 2016 which marked the beginning of the most successful spell of Quagliarella’s career. He finished the 2017-18 season with 19 goals in 35 appearances. This season, after breaking Gabriel Batistuta's all-time record of scoring in 11 consecutive Serie A matches in a single season, Quagliarella is well on course to beat his personal best. Currently, he stands just behind Ronaldo with 16 goals in 21 appearances.
With Quagliarella seemingly in the form of his life, the race for the Serie A top scorer will go right down to the wire. Here are three reasons why Ronaldo should fear Quagliarella in the race for the Capocannoniere.
#1 He is a Serie A veteran
Quagliarella, despite being 36 years of age, should not be underestimated. Having spent his entire playing career in Italy, the man knows the league inside out. He has played for 8 different Italian clubs and has won three consecutive Serie A titles.
He might not possess incredible pace but his experience gives his game a different edge. His knowledge of the league is an added benefit. Quagliarella’s intelligent movement and his vision make him a truly quality player.
He is a seasoned striker whose technical ability inside the final third makes him a lethal forward. He can finish well and also hold up the ball and link play. Though he has always been known for scoring some great goals (like the Serie A goal of the season in 2009), it’s his consistency this season that has got everyone talking.
No doubt Ronaldo’s supreme quality will always prevail but Quagliarella’s experience in the Serie A will prove beneficial over the course of the season.