The fans invoked him, and that unanimously raised chorus («Beto’s goals are needed for Europe») in the Messaggero Veneto survey should be enough to make him raise his antennae and make him understand that the hoped-for return to victory of Udinese, tomorrow afternoon in Friuli against Bologna, after 9 days of long, very long abstinence, he will also pass from his levers, from his head and above all from his choices once he receives the ball.
Yes, because if Beto’s sense of goal still appears mysterious, if not downright confused or equivocal, but certainly not in the name of continuity, it is also due to all those turnovers (19 in the last two games against Empoli and Juve) that fact penalize both him and his teammates.
And here it is surprising to note that Beto has not yet served a single winning assist, an index in its own way influential and to be balanced in the production of goals that does not only take into account the goals scored.
No assists last season in 28 games played, and no assists in the first 17 days played so far.
The technique, the quality in knowing how to handle and control the ball are precious resources for everyone, they have the power to broaden the choices of execution and to transmit security by enhancing the personality, and it is precisely this security that Beto still seems to lack, therefore needing it .
This was also seen at the resumption of the championship, when he often argued with the ball, chasing it after simply losing it, never hitting the target in the three attempts against Empoli and in the only shot made at the Stadium, where he only won 4 duels out of 15.
All numbers that put their finger on the wound, but which are still overshadowed by the reflection of the 6 goals scored. Fatally, it is the same figure that Beto had accrued on the 17th day of last year.
The curious aspect is that now, as then, the Portuguese lived on tears. Last year he scored 6 goals in the first 15 days which for him were 12 because from the third in La Spezia, hitting three consecutive ones with Sampdoria, Bologna and Atalanta, before the sharp one at Sassuolo and the brace that brought him to the fore at the Olimpico , with Lazio.
This year, ready to go, Beto broke free in Monza, repeating with Fiorentina, Sassuolo (brace) and Verona. Five goals scored between the third and eighth matchday, before the paw against Lecce on 4 November.
It is therefore time to find the goal again, perhaps adjusting the aim (only 11 shots out of the 26 ended up on goal) and to remember that last year in Bologna Beto scored his first goal against Friuli. It happened in the 83rd minute, when on a slope from Nachio Pussetto took off in the area, anticipated Skorupski and scored the 1-1 goal with a seemingly easy header.