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Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori started for Italy in their World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.
There were concerns about the 23-year-old’s fitness following the Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City on Sunday.
Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso said that Calafiori was in a bit of pain when he joined the national team, but he recovered and played the whole game on Thursday night.
The Italian press have now had their say about his display.
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Credit: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Riccardo Calafiori started on the left side of a back-three for Italy against Northern Ireland.
It was a must-win game for Gattuso’s side to keep their World Cup hopes alive, and they got the job done thanks to goals from Arsenal target Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
At the other end, Calafiori mostly had a quiet game. He was barely threatened by the Northern Irish and did what he had to do without any trouble.
The Italian press have praised the Arsenal man for the defensive side of his game, but there are complaints about what he did in the opposite direction.
Photo by Giacomo Cosua/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Il Giornale gave him a 6/10 rating and wrote: “Not very busy in the defensive phase, he does not participate much in the offensive phase.”
Quotidiano Sport also gave him the same score and said: “He gives little away in the offensive phase, and perhaps that’s why it’s difficult to break through on that side. He makes his presence felt in the closing stages.”
Calcio Mercato were a bit more generous. They rated him 6.5/10 and wrote: “From a left-handed arm with its characteristics, an international breath test is needed.
“A bit timid in the first 45 minutes, he released his charisma in the second half by providing overlapping solutions on the left and well defending Northern Irish attacks in the rearguard.”
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Credit: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images Riccardo Calafiori’s stats in Italy vs Northern Ireland tell a different story
Some of the reviews from the Italian press make it seem like Calafiori had a very average game against Northern Ireland on Thursday.
However, his stats tell a different story.
In his 90 minutes on the pitch, Calafiori made four clearances, two recoveries and was successful with 100 per cent of the tackles he attempted. He also won all of his ground duels and four of his six aerial duels.
On the ball, the Arsenal man completed 55 passes, created a chance and even had two shots at goal.
Sofascore gave Calafiori a 7.8/10 rating. Only Tonali, the goalscorer, got a higher rating among all the players who played.
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