Italy is a country rooted in close-knit families. Unsurprisingly, that loyalty and love carry over to the football clubs. When you think of players who spurned offers from the world’s elite due to their love for their club, half of your list likely consists of Italian players. Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, Franco Baresi, and Alessandro Del Piero. Despite his start at Parma and recent year at PSG, Gianluigi Buffon’s love for Juventus brought him back to the club. Though Javier Zanetti is Argentine, his loyalty to Inter Milan elevates his status to that of a son of Inter as he’s remained with the club since 1995. Stability served as a catalyst for individual and professional development.
After taking the field for 10 teams in his first nine seasons, Ciro Immobile has found a home in Rome. “When I am playing and I hear the Lazio fans chant my name, this motivates me a lot. I love to play for Lazio and it is an honour for me,” says Immobile. That support has translated to Immobile leading the Big 5 leagues in goals plus assists per 90 minutes with a mark of 1.82. The next highest performers are Timo Werner and Robert Lewandowski at 1.50.
Before signing with Lazio, Immobile’s career was anything but stable. One year among the top scorers was typically followed by a sale and lack of playing time. Viewed as a transfer bust, he’d pack his bags and renew the cycle. Since signing with Lazio for a fee of €8.75 million, Immobile has repaid the Biancocelesti fans 81 goals in fewer than three and a half seasons, easily tops in Serie A. Like the Italian legends who went before him, Immobile is best with the stability of a supportive home. He’s found that place with Lazio.
In this scout report, we’ll provide an analysis of the traits that have elevated him to elite status in Serie A and made him a fan favourite of the Lazio faithful.
Runs in behind
A large part of Immobile’s success in Lazios tactics is down to the fact that he is a willing runner. Whether he’s latching onto a through ball, completing a decoy run for a teammate or simply looking to stretch the defence a few more yards, opposing defenders know they must account for the forward. If not, he has the pace and strength to run clear of coverage.
Tactical analysis of Immobile’s runs show that they typically started from unmarked positions beyond the sight of the centre-backs and finished with him receiving behind their lines. He loves to play off the back shoulder of the right-centre-back. That said, you’ll notice in the pictures below that his starting points in relation to the opposition backline vary pretty wildly. It’s not that he’s ever far from them, but his starting points are a response to different cues.
For instance, if he positions himself close to a defender and then makes a run in behind, you can just about bet that he’s making a run to unlock space for a teammate. Lining up next to the defender ensures he has the defender’s attention and that he can pull his marker from that space. Should the defender fail to track Immobile, they run the risk of allowing a free run on goal. With his power, pace and lethal finishing, defenders must respect Immobile’s movement. With the opponent tracking Immobile, another attacker can run into that optimal central position.
Immobile’s runs in behind the defence vary in scope. In this example, he offers a straight run beyond the defence, which Luis Alberto (who has eight Serie A assists of his own) threads through the defence. It’s a dangerous direct pass that breaks the line and leads to a goal. In instances like this, Immobile will push up in line with the backline. Notice he received the ball in the 2/4 gap, closer to the right-back than the right-centre-back. Playing off the shoulder of the central defenders, especially with Joaquin Correa commanding their attention in the middle, creates space for the pass.
When you analyse Immobile’s runs, you’ll notice his success begins with his starting position. In this instance, he’s again lingering in the 2/4 gap waiting for the play to develop. Once Manuel Lazzari cut inside, Immobile could see three of the four defenders on the backline intently tracking Lazzari’s movement. He catches Jeison Murillo with poor body orientation and Nicola Murru stepping forward to pressure. That leaves a massive gap behind Murru, one that Murillo is not prepared to cover. Immobile read his teammate’s cue and the defence’s mistakes, activating his run into the right half-space.
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