Federico Chiesa’s goal against Napoli is good news for Luciano Spalletti and Italy, not only because the Juventus star scored for the first time since January but also because he did it while playing as a right winger.
Chiesa scored his second goal in 2024 on Sunday in Juventus’ 2-1 loss at the Stadio Maradona in Naples. Although it did not help the Bianconeri to return home with at least one point in their pockets, Chiesa’s goal is undoubtedly good news for the Serie A giants and the Italy national team.
The former Fiorentina striker has now scored seven Serie A goals in 23 appearances, but his latest strike at Stadio Maradona has a special meaning that won’t be ignored by Italy CT Spalletti.
𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐒𝐀 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 🔙⚽
Gol in #NapoliJuve: palla in buca d'angolo 🎱#Chiesa #SerieATIM #DAZN pic.twitter.com/p2QQWgHVcf— DAZN Italia (@DAZN_IT) March 4, 2024
Chiesa, in fact, has mainly played as a centre forward in Massimiliano Allegri’s 3-5-2 system this term, but in the final minutes of the Napoli game, he was deployed as a right winger in a 4-3-3 formation and managed to find the net from that position.
It may seem a minor detail, but it could be crucial for Italy ahead of Euro 2024 instead.
Chiesa’s compatriot Berardi, in fact, had suffered a season-ending injury only a few hours before Napoli-Juventus, and Sassuolo confirmed the 29-year-old would need an Achilles tendon surgery on Tuesday, forcing him to miss the upcoming Euros.
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Chiesa has mostly played as a left winger for Italy but is among the options Spalletti has to replace Berardi at Euro 2024.
His goal against Napoli proves Chiesa can make a contribution on the right wing too, so it will be interesting to see where he will be deployed in Germany over the summer and which player will start as a left winger if Chiesa will be used as a replacement for Berardi.
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