The Argentine winner of the America’s Cup will cross the European champion blue with Mancini’s team on the right
UDINE. Call it the challenge of two worlds. There on the right wing of Udinese, with Napoli tomorrow night at the Friuli stadium for the last postponement of the fourth day of the championship.
Yes, because the protagonists during the summer took away some historical satisfaction with their respective national teams, because Nahuel Molina’s Argentina won the America’s Cup after 28 years of chases, while Lorenzo Insigne took part in the orders of coach Roberto Mancini at the enterprise of Italy that since 1968 did not rise to the top of Europe.
Molina against Insigne will be the highlight of the match, because if the Napoli captain has always been one of the standard bearers of the new blue course, with that symbolic number 10 on his back, the “gaucho” of Udinese was a real surprise for the team. Argentine summer, with coach Lionel Scaloni ready to throw him into the fray to make him one of its owners, albeit with particular modalities linked to his international experience.
After only five minutes played against Chile, in fact, the selector of theAlbiceleste he sent him on the field for 90 ‘against Uruguay and Paraguay, just to close the qualifying discussion in the group and then leave him at rest with Bolivia.
In the knockout phase, however, he returned to the eleven against Ecuador and Colombia, against which he played only in the first half. No minute, however, in the final won against Brazil at the Maracana in Rio. The reason? Simple, Richarlison and Neymar duet there. And Argentina defends at 4.
The tactical discourse in Udine is different, where Molina plays the full wing winger, the right one, in the context of a 3-5-2 that allows him to affect even in the offensive phase, the highlight of the 23-year-old from Embalse who has so far collected , including the Italian Cup, 2 goals and an assist in 357 ‘(267 in the league seasoned by a goal and a decisive pass with Venice).
Important numbers that will clash with those of Insigne (three appearances and a goal in 248 minutes in the series) who in Naples has a decidedly more all-round role, compared to the one played in the national team, given that he plays among the three midfielders behind of the only point, Osimhen, jousting to the left.
For Molina he will be a very difficult customer, even if he can be supported behind by a central defensive player who should be Becao. The two will work as a wiper, but it is clear that in the first instance it will be the Argentine who will have to face the blue.
In short, it will be a real duel, not a long-distance challenge. A piece of that cup that Fifa and Uefa – embalmed – should have created on the fly to confront the champions of South America with those of Europe. With Argentina and Italy on the pitch, calling it Coppa Maradona would have been right. But have you seen the big bosses Infantino and Ceferin taking something on us lately?
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