Hungary-Italy, Mancini: “The players should love the national team more”. But the coach was not referring to Immobile

by our correspondent Luigi Garlando

September 25th
– BUDAPEST

Roberto Mancini saw his center-forward, Ciro Immobile, arrive one step away from the plane for Budapest and then go back, intercepted by a thousand doubts and a few phone calls. The blue coach walks on the eggs to reconstruct the yellow of the day and not crack the shell of an important eve. “Immobile was very good at staying with us, he tried to recover until the end. I also talked to him in the morning. But in the end we decided to leave him at home, because he became too dangerous. He hadn’t trained for three days. It was not worth taking the risk, after the resentment ”. What game are you expecting? “Tough. Playing in Hungary is never easy. Marco Rossi did a great job. He comes from an important European and he leads the Nations League group in front of teams like Italy, Germany and England. We have a 50 percent chance of overcoming them. They have one more result available, but I don’t expect them to defend themselves. In front of 70,000 spectators they will want to win to legitimize a very prestigious first place. They are physical, charged, determined. They will attack, we will have to be good at defending ”. But also to attack, because we are doomed to win. Is the prudent 3-5-2 at San Siro enough? Hungary have conceded only three goals in the group. It knows how to close “. “It is not a question of modules, but of attitude: we will have to attack in many. Compared to the first half against England we will have to be more aggressive and faster ”.

DOUBTS

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Of the three goals conceded by Hungary, two were conceded by an Italy that fielded three small ones: Politano, Gnonto and Raspadori. Can the precedent of Cesena serve? 3-5-2 with Gnonto and Raspa in front? “We will see. I’m thinking about it. Scamacca also offers us important options and his first goal in the national team would give him an important boost “. Raspadori is becoming a certainty: since he made his debut he has scored 4 times, like no other blue. “But he still has a lot to grow. He still has little international experience. But he is an intelligent boy with remarkable technical qualities, he will become an important player for the national team “.

THAT HOPE …

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Mancini also talks about the importance of qualifying for the Nations League Final Four. “It would be important above all for the youngest, because they could gain experience in prestigious matches.” And then a sigh, even at the cost of cracking a few eggs, not referring directly to Immobile: “We should love the national team a little more”.