Angel Di Maria was widely praised by the Italian press after his sensational performance in Argentina’s World Cup final win over France.
The 34-year-old Juventus winger played 64 minutes of the final at the Lusail Stadium, showing all his qualities in a decisive performance. Di Maria drew the foul for Argentina’s opening penalty and then finished off a beautiful team goal to make it 2-0, being an electric and dangerous figure on the left wing.
Di Maria created three chances and completed 96% of his passes, putting on a show in the World Cup final. His substitution in the second half clearly removed a threat for the Albiceleste and gave France a shot of clawing their way back.
La Gazzetta dello Sport asked after his performance: “When will we see him like this again at Juventus?”, suggesting he was “as decisive as Messi” and that “he went off because he had no autonomy, and Argentina trembled.”
Tuttosport highlighted Di Maria’s ability to rise to the occasion, saying: “The man of the finals strikes again, as with Nigeria, as with Brazil, as with Italy,” underlining his ability to make an impact in the biggest games.
Corriere dello Sport echoed the sentiments of their counterparts in the Italian press, detailing how “you see him over there, on the sideline, he seemed far away, even physically from the game. Instead, as soon as he could, he mauled his prey with the same ferocity as the hawks in Doha.”
Di Maria’s ratings in the Italian newspapers:
Gazzetta dello Sport: 8.5
Tuttosport: 8.5
Corriere dello Sport: 8.5
I cannot wait for Serie A to start so these articles can stop.
I’m so glad he took the first half of the season off then