Fave or Flop: Domenico Berardi
The Italian Sensation
As the 2021/22 season winds down, it’s time for season reviews and analyses of player performances across the internet by football fans and critics alike. So, with this out the way, let’s jump into a small series which I will be running between the months of June and July where I will be going through a few players that I thought had a great season, and some that I thought had a less than impressive one.
Survey Says: A Fave
In the hotbed of Italian youth in Sassuolo, there is one individual whose play stands out against his peers. This season, he has catapulted himself into stardom, and now with world-class clubs chasing his name, Domenico Berardi seems to be more than ready to make the big jump. With his unique role, whereby he plays rather inward, while also being tasked to hug the touchline, it’s this freedom in rigidity that has allowed him to shine under the watchful eye of Dionisi.
In a remarkable resemblance with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, while at Ajax and Riyad Marez, the ability to create shots is what separates him from the pack as shown by the data above. This chance creation comes as a by-product of him being left-footed, meaning that he naturally unlocks many passing angles which would not be possible for a traditionally right-footed winger playing across the right flank. In essence, instead of a traditional out-and-out winger, he is able to exploit his unique nature in cutting in to play weighted balls with his stronger left foot.
It is this ability to create the shot that is so impressive to me through the few Sassuolo games I watched this season. Without him, the team lacks creativity. But with him on the ball, the passes he is able to pull off elevate the team’s threat to the opposition ten-fold, with balls being sprayed into the box from the central-right side.
Thus, it is with his utterly incomprehensible ability to create shots and break through the lines in a league which is much more defensively sound, with 5-back formations in the defensive phases that impresses me the most.
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