Serie A the most boring league in Europe? Think again…

For a long time, Serie A has been regarded as one of the most defensive and, dare we say it, most boring leagues in Europe, but statistics don’t lie and football fans must now look at Italy’s top flight in a different light.

Indeed, this season Serie A yielded the most goals of all Europe’s top five leagues, debunking the myth that it remains as dull as it was back in the 90s, when we all gathered around the television to watch James Richardson on Channel 4’s Football Italia.

Of course, there is a stigma still associated with Serie A and reigning champions Juventus have done very little to dispel that, particularly in the Champions League this year where they have conceded just seven goals on the way to the final where they now face free-scoring Barcelona.

But many believe that Juventus, rather than Real Madrid, have a better chance of beating Luis Enrique’s side, who are now just one win away from securing an incredible treble, because of their defensive astuteness.

But collectively, Italy’s top flight outscored their European counterparts this year, and an outrageous 47-goal haul in the final matchweek – which broke a 23-year record – ensured the Italians went away with the title thanks to 1024 goals.

And what made the feat even more brilliant was that 38-year-old Luca Toni was joint-top scorer, matching Inter striker Mauro Icardi’s haul of 22.

In truth, Serie A is a hugely entertaining league and one considerably less defensive than is widely believed. Just don’t expect Juventus to go toe-to-toe with Barcelona in Berlin on Saturday.