Federico Dimarco Has Been Serie A’s Most Dangerous Player This Season – and He’s a Left-Back

24th May 2026

When you look at the Serie A creative leaderboards this season, one name appears at the top of almost every category. It is not a striker. It is not a number 10. It is Federico Dimarco, the Inter left-back, and his numbers are genuinely ridiculous.

Dimarco finishes the 2025/26 Serie A campaign ranked first for assists (17), key passes (94), big chances created (31), total crosses (288) and accurate crosses (99). Five different creative metrics, all topped by a defender. It should not be possible, but here we are.

The Assist King

Dimarco’s 17 assists from 34 appearances is a staggering return for a full-back. That works out at an assist every other game. To put it in context, the second-highest assist tally in Serie A belongs to Armand Lauriente at Sassuolo – an attacker – on nine. Dimarco has nearly doubled the output of every forward and attacking midfielder in the league.

Nicolo Barella, his Inter teammate, is joint-third on eight assists. Even within his own side, Dimarco is operating on a different level when it comes to creating goals.

The Crossing Machine

The assists do not come from nowhere. Dimarco has attempted 288 crosses this season – first in Serie A by a significant margin. Of those, 99 found their target, also ranking first in the league for accurate crosses.

That means roughly one in every three crosses Dimarco delivers hits a teammate. For a player operating from wide in a back line, that accuracy is exceptional. He is not just putting the ball into the box and hoping for the best. He is picking out runners with the precision of a playmaker.

Creating Like a Number 10

Beyond the crosses, Dimarco’s overall creative output reads like that of an elite attacking midfielder. His 94 key passes rank first in Serie A – that is nearly three per game. He has also created 31 big chances, again the highest in the division.

For comparison, Nico Paz of Como – a player whose entire role revolves around creating – has managed six assists and six big chances created. Dimarco is nearly tripling those numbers from a completely different position.

Inter’s Secret Weapon

Inter have been the dominant force in Serie A this season, and Dimarco is a huge part of why. Lautaro Martinez leads the scoring charts with 17 goals, while Marcus Thuram has added 13 goals and six assists. But the supply line behind them runs through Dimarco more than anyone else.

He has added six goals of his own this season, ranking 31st among all players in the division. A left-back contributing goals on top of these creative numbers is absurd.

A Historic Season

Left-backs who contribute in attack are not uncommon in modern football. But left-backs who lead an entire top-five European league across every major creative metric? That is something different entirely. Dimarco has not just been the best creator at Inter – he has been the best creator in all of Serie A, and it would be difficult to argue any defender in Europe has had a better season.

All stats via Statz Serie A Rankings.