TOTS Serie A Predictions

It looks as though EA is going to drop all leagues down to 15 players but with just two predictions remaining, I felt that predicting 23 players still gives a look on potential SBC and objective players so I will remain at a full squad. Serie A is usually my favourite league in-game with prices being cheap while players are still elite tier. There are several players to look forward to in this side and as a whole looks to be the best of the five.

*Please note player statistics are correct at the time of writing and individual ratings are based on the NIF’s 
 

Goalkeeper

Samir Handanovic – GK - OVR 88>>95
Despite Handanovic obtaining the best goalkeeping record this season in Serie A, he was actually a very difficult player to include. Gazzetta as well known is EA’s source for these sort of things in Italy but Handanovic was way down in 16th in terms of average ratings for goalkeepers. This did make me doubt the selection tremendously but, in the end, I just couldn’t overlook the fact he has only conceded 29 goals and in my eyes, the keeper with the best defensive record for the season should be included. Additionally, with Handanovic being a big name I can see EA opting for him over the likes of Cragno, Audero and Consigli who were all options this year.

Defenders

Juan Cuadrado – RB - OVR 81>>92
Usually, when it comes to Serie A TOTS sides, we see them dominated by Juventus. This year is going to be different though with the old lady currently sitting in fourth while struggling to even secure a champion’s league spot. There are still a few names likely to make the side though with Cuadrado being one of them. The Colombian has been brilliant for them since moving back to RB and once again has caused havoc down the right-hand side. Providing nine assists from RB, which is the most in the division as it stands. Which alongside the second-best defensive record makes him an easy selection for this prediction.

De Vrij – CB - OVR 84>>91
In previous sides the side with the best defensive record has dominated the backline for TOTS but despite Inter’s superb defensive displays this season there were no clear-cut options for the side. That being said I still do feel that they will have at least some involvement in the defence and thus De Vrij is one of two defenders I am including from them. De Vrij comes ninth in the average ratings from Gazzetta which could be pushing it but with just 29 goals conceded from the 33 games Inter have played the defensive is obviously performing well and De Vrij is a huge part of that.

Milan Skrinar – CB - OVR 85>>92
The next Inter defender on the list is De Vrij’s central partner, Skrinar. The Slovakian has been more successful going forward with three goals to his name but obviously, the main reason for his inclusion is that already mentioned impressive defensive record Inter hold. I actually feel that Skrinar is the less likely of the two to make the cut but with no real big-name CB’s standing out with Juve’s injuries causing rotation and Atalanta excelling I feel that Skrinar is a bigger name that EA will benefit from. After all it’s not that far fetched to see him included, he’s still had a good season.

Theo Hernandez – LB - OVR 80>>92
One of the most exciting players over the TOTS promo has to be Theo Hernandez with several upgrades already for the Frenchman, Hernandez’s card pre-TOTS is already one of the best LB’s in the game so after it, he is likely to be one of the best we have ever seen. As for why he gets in, four goals and five assists are what he can boast about offensively and while their defensive record may not compare the best against others with 41 conceded it’s still a respectable tally. I’m still quite shocked that Real Madrid let Hernandez go in truth. He is likely to be among the best LB’s in the world for the next decade.
 

Midfielders

Lorenzo Insigne – LM - OVR 85>>94
It’s a tight race between second and fifth with just two points separating the four positions. Napoli currently sits in third and when you look at things it's clear to see that Insigne has played a huge role in that position. With a remarkable 17 goals and five assists from the left-hand side, he has been an ever-present figure in their success, especially during the second half of the season. Theres a reason as to why the Italian has four IF’s already. He’s a shoe in for this year’s Serie A TOTS

Sergej Milinkovic Savic – CM - OVR 85>>95
One of the easier choices for this side was Milinkovic Savic with three IF’s and a headliner to boost it’s easy to see that EA already rate the Serbian highly. Building upon that it is easy to see why with the Lazio man scoring eight times and assisting an additional eight all while playing a box-to-box role. Lazio is currently sitting in sixth, the final European spot but are currently on brilliant form which could see them push for the top six with a handful of games remaining. If they manage to pull it off, we could see a few more Lazio players included but Milinkovic Savic will be included regardless.

De Paul – CM - OVR 77>>90
Udinese’s goalscoring has been a real problem for them this year with just 38 goals being scored from the club in 33 matches, only three other teams have scored less in the division. De Paul has contributed to 14 of those with eight of his own alongside six assists. Making him a direct contribution in just under half of Udinese’s goals which when you consider he plays as a CM shows just how important he has been to the club. His performances have more than justified a potential TOTS for the Argentine.

Domenico Berardi – RW - OVR 80>>90
Berardi managed to replicate his success of 2019/20, continuing to play a huge role for Sassuolo. With 14 goals and six assists to his name fix games to go I think it is a safe assumption that Berardi will be included in this side. Which when you consider that before last season Berardi struggled to make an impact in Serie A for him to then manage it in back-to-back seasons shows the progress he has made as a player and there’s no surprise that the bigger clubs in Italy have inquired about him in recent transfer windows.
 

Forwards

Romelu Lukaku – ST - OVR 85>>94
Although Lukaku somewhat dropped off during his final years in the Premiership since joining Inter Milan he hasn’t looked back. This has been his most successful season to date though, spearheading the Inter attack, helping them to lift the Serie A title in the process. Although Ronaldo leads the way when it comes to goals outright Lukaku holds the most goal contributions in the division with 21 goals and 8 assists. The Belgian is still only 27 years of age and is only just entering what you would expect to be his best years, quite a scary prospect that.

Cristiano Ronaldo – ST - OVR 92>>97
Although I have been getting a fair amount of stick for these rating predictions I am going to stick with the system and take it on the chin if I am wrong. I still stand by the fact that TOTY should obtain the highest rating on a player. That is the only controversial part surrounding his inclusion through with Ronaldo leading the golden boot race with 25 goals in the 29 fixtures he has played. Ronaldo’s future is unclear but one thing for sure he’s going to continue scoring for fun for a few years yet

Substitutes

Gianluigi Donnarumma – GK - OVR 85>>93
Unlike Handanovic my second keeper was an easy one to select. Although the defensive record was not as impressive Donnarumma has played a huge role for Milan, making save after save on numerous occasions for them. There is a good reason as to why he is one of the most hyped young keepers in international football and he continues to show why. The 22-year-old was top of the average rating list for goalkeepers, largely thanks to his dependability. After being snubbed of a spot in the FIFA 20 side I am very confident he will now go on to pick up his third TOTS to date in 21.

Berat Djimsiti – CB - OVR 76>>88
Not the most exciting of potential TOTS cars but Djimsiti is perhaps one of the most deserving of one, especially when it comes to defenders. The Albanian has been superb at the back for Atalanta, who have the fourth best defensive record in the division, which on a side based so much on an attack is a huge reason as to why they have performed so well this campaign. With so many Atalanta defenders having a strong chance for this side there is a chance that EA could look at Djimsiti and snub him simply due to card stats which I hope is not the case as he does really deserve a spot here.

Robin Gosens – LM - OVR 82>>90
It's clear to see that EA is going to continue to classify Gosens as a LM but in truth, he does play more of a defensive role as far as LM’s go. That perhaps makes his already impressive nine goals and six assists look even better from this campaign. A lot of Atalanta players are likely to make this side after a successful season from them once again but for me, Gosens is often overlooked when it comes to their most important players. I can’t see him being snubbed from TOTS, despite being snubbed for TOTW on a regular basis.

Achraf Hakimi – RM - OVR 83>>91
For me, I would list Hakimi as a RWB but with EA’s intentions clearly showing him as a RM his place in this side is rather debatable. Hakimi has both six goals and six assists to his name which while playing in a defensive midfield role is very impressive. The Moroccan has slowed down during the second half of the season, but I still feel that he has done enough to be included and what a card he would end up being.

Nico Barella – CM - OVR 80>>90
You may well look at this one and question it with Barella managing just three goals and two assists. My answer to you is it’s not all about statistics, although some can be heavily based on them. Inter as already mentioned have practically lifted the title in Italy and Barella has been one of their standout players, especially in midfield. There are several European clubs chasing for his signature but Inter seems to be standing firm and refusing to sell the Italian talent with Barella in their plans for the long term.

Laurtaro Martinez – ST - OVR 84>>94
The striker positions were highly competitive in Serie A with big names like Belotti and Ibrahimovic failing to make my side and while you could easily make a case for multiple other strikers I have only a select few slots for ST items. Martinez is the lucky man who I feel will sneak in with four IF’s to his name already he is rated highly by EA. The Argentine has helped Inter to lift the title with 15 goals and 3 assists. While Lukaku has been their main man Martinez deserves a lot of praise too.

Luis Muriel – ST - OVR 79>>91
There once was a time when the name Muriel was simply a sweaty 1k striker and although his NIF started the same way his performances have seen him claim three IF’s and now a TOTS looks to be on the way too. Outperforming both Zapata and Ilicic, Muriel has cemented himself as Atalanta’s main striker this season and with 19 goals to his name its clear to see why. The pacey Colombian causes multiple problems for opposing defences and actually obtains the third highest average rating from Gazzetta, impressive to say the least

Reserves

Cristian Romero – CB - OVR 73>>90
In truth, I had not heard of Romero before this year, but the 23-year-old Argentine has excelled at the back for Atalanta this campaign both in Serie A and in European competitions. So much so that Barcelona have declared interest in the defender. With three performance-based upgrades already Romero has climbed from a 73 rated NIF up to 84 rated which gives us the opportunity to include him in the starting eleven, which is where he deserves to be. Offensively he has managed two goals and two assists, but it is his defensive ability that has really stood out. I fully expect him to be starting for Juventus next season at the very least.

Franck Yannick Kessie – CM - OVR 77>>91
Although Kessie does score a lot of penalties with ten goals to his name for AC Milan this season he still stands out among midfielders. Not only that but when you compare average ratings he actually does quite well, maintaining an average of 6.45 which may not sound that great but Lukaku currently leads the way and his is only 6.69. This bodes well for the Ivorian and as a result, I would expect to see him feature in this year’s side.

Jordan Veretout – CM - OVR 79>>89
Although it has not been the most successful of seasons for Roma, who currently sit in seventh position there have still been positives to take, making the semi-final of the Europa League and some players showing some real promise. One of those is Jordan Veretout with the Frenchman adding goals to his game this campaign, ten of them to be precise. Although he is far from a guarantee I could see him included as either an objective or SBC player.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – LF - OVR 80>>91
The second representative of Roma comes the way of Mkhitaryan, the Armenian has been class for Roma this season and although he was better during the first half his performances have more than justified him a spot in this side. With nine goals and eight assists, he is among the top overall goal contributors in the division and while I would personally class him as a CAM it looks as though EA will go the LF route, based off his previous IF’s. Either way, I expect the Armenian to feature.

Ciro Immobile – ST - OVR 87>>93
The final spot in the side goes the way of Immobile. The Italian has 18 goals and 3 assists to his name for Lazio this season, making him the fifth highest scorer in the division. There is another player who could get in under bizarre circumstances though and that is Simy. I decided to ignore the Crotone forward in the end though with his side finishing rock bottom of the division I felt that EA will not include him. Immobile also has a significantly higher average rating and thus he makes the more sense of the two