Are Inter Milan wasteful? What Serie A numbers really say

Finishing doubts persist, but statistics paint a different picture

The match against Bologna once again left many Inter Milan fans with a familiar feeling: dominance in play, chances created, but too many missed opportunities in front of goal. 

The perception is that the Nerazzurri lack clinical edge compared to their rivals.

But what do the numbers actually say? Let’s take a closer look at the Serie A conversion rate rankings, focusing on the top ten teams.

Serie A conversion rate: positions 10 to 6

10th – Lazio (Sarri)

18 goals from 284 total shots

198 shots on target

Conversion rate: 6.3%

9th – Torino (Baroni)

20 goals from 304 shots

226 on target

Conversion rate: 6.6%

8th – Como (Fàbregas)

23 goals from 324 shots

234 on target

Conversion rate: 7.1%

7th – Bologna (Italiano)

25 goals from 326 shots

227 on target

Conversion rate: 7.7%

6th – Cagliari (Pisacane)

19 goals from 245 shots

173 on target

Conversion rate: 7.8%

Top 5: efficiency rises

5th – Napoli (reigning champions)

26 goals from 310 shots

226 on target

Conversion rate: 8.4%

4th – Sassuolo

23 goals from 268 shots

191 on target

Conversion rate: 8.6%

3rd – Cremonese (Nicola)

18 goals from 209 shots

150 on target

Conversion rate: 8.6%

2nd – AC Milan (Allegri)

28 goals from 317 shots

225 on target

Conversion rate: 8.8%

1st place: Inter Milan, surprisingly

At the top of the ranking sits Inter Milan. Despite the widespread narrative, the Nerazzurri boast the best goal-to-shot ratio in Serie A:

38 goals

415 total shots

296 shots on target

The Inter Milan paradox

Yes, Inter Milan miss chances. But statistically, not more than anyone else. The real paradox lies elsewhere: volume.

Inter Milan create an enormous number of chances, almost 100 more total shots than AC Milan, for example. With such attacking production, it is inevitable that the raw number of missed chances appears higher.

In short, the issue is not efficiency. It is abundance.

Source: Fcinter1908