A Progress Report on the Early-Season Form of Inter Milan's Dani Osvaldo
There is a lot riding on season 2014-15 for Dani Osvaldo.
The Argentina-born Italian international had a highly successful spell at Roma between 2011 and 2013 but has since lost his way somewhat.
A transfer to English football, with Southampton, did not go according to plan. Osvaldo failed to make much of an impression on the pitch and found himself in trouble for disciplinary reasons.
He was suspended by the club for breaking the nose of team-mate Jose Fonte in a training-ground spat and eventually loaned out to Juventus. He was only able to notch three goals during his time at the Saints.
Facing stiff competition for a starting spot at the Italian champions, Osvaldo made just 11 appearances for the club (seven as a substitute) and scored one goal.
The 28-year-old must have been thankful, then, to be given another chance to resurrect his career when Inter Milan took him on loan at the start of this season.
Though Inter have some real quality up front, they lack depth in the forwards.
Argentine duo Mauro Icardi and Rodrigo Palacio are top-class strikers but behind those two there is little to speak of in the striking stocks apart from Osvaldo.
The former Huracan and Espanyol man was always going to get game time to prove himself, then.
Let's have a look at how he has fared so far in the black and blue.
The Stats
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Serie A
Appearances: 6 (2 as a substitute)
Minutes played: 444
Yellow cards: 1
Red cards: 0
Assists: 2
Goals: 4
Osvaldo is equal first in the league for goals and equal fourth in the league for assists. He has scored a goal every 111 minutes in Serie A.
Europa League
Appearances: 4 (3 as a substitute)
Minutes played: 175
Yellow cards: 0
Red cards: 0
Assists: 0
Goals: 1
Osvaldo has mostly been used as a substitute in the Europa League, though he did score in the only match he started, Inter's 6-0 rout of Stjarnan.
Overall Performance
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Inter coach Walter Mazzarri should be pleased with Osvaldo's contributions so far.
While he is effective as a lone striker up front, he has shown this season that he can play well as part of an attacking duo with either Palacio or Icardi.
Most of his goals have been poached from close range, which has always been Osvaldo's modus operandi; his half-bicycle kick against Atalanta was executed with superb technique.
The No. 7 has looked threatening in the air, with his goal against Stjarnan the result of a powerful header from a cross from the left.
His short-passing game around the edge of the area has also been sharp, and he has usually combined well with his strike partners.
There have been times this season when Inter's whole front line has gone missing, in part due to poor service from midfield, and Osvaldo has been guilty of being too quiet in certain games.
As a forward who can still pop up with a goal even when he is having a relatively poor game, though, that should not be something Mazzarri is too worried about.
Summary
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When Mazzarri took something of a risk by signing Osvaldo on loan he would have been hoping the Buenos Aires-born forward would be able to produce the kind of form that he once showed in Roma colours, and so far the gamble has paid off.
Inter's other two main strikers offer something slightly different to the fashion-conscious hit man; Icardi is powerful and can bang in goals from anywhere, and Palacio is a speedster who can attack from deep. But Osvaldo's poaching ability is already proving useful.
The forward is sitting atop the goalscorer's charts after six rounds, and he appears to have some of his old swagger back.
Like all goalscorers, confidence plays a large part in Osvaldo's game, and his own self-belief should be growing with each successful game he plays for the Nerazzurri.
So far he can be very happy with his output.
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