Has Italy Finally Found Their Missing Piece in Pio Esposito?
Italy may have finally found the striker they have been searching for in Pio Esposito.
The Azzurri secured a 3-1 victory over Turkey in their UEFA Nations League Group A clash on Tuesday, with Esposito once again finding the back of the net and strengthening his case as a long-term solution to Italy’s goalscoring problem.
Played at the Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna, Italy’s goals came from Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori and Esposito, while Turkey pulled one back through Aral Samsir.
The victory extended Italy’s unbeaten run since their opening-match defeat to Belgium and provided further evidence that the Azzurri are beginning to find their rhythm.
After the match, Roberto Mancini was full of praise for Esposito and backed the young striker to develop into a forward capable of following in the footsteps of Italy legends such as Christian Vieri and Luca Toni.
Italy have struggled to find a consistent goalscorer since the departure of those iconic strikers, but Mancini believes Esposito could finally be the answer.
“I think Pio is very hungry for goals, hungry to compete and hungry to play. I believe he can be a difference-maker. In two years, he could be playing like Vieri and Toni,” Mancini said.
The former Manchester City manager also highlighted Esposito’s physical and technical qualities, insisting the 21-year-old has the attributes required to become a dangerous striker at international level.
Mancini also suggested Italy’s earlier struggles against Belgium were largely down to a lack of preparation, with the team now appearing to have regained their stability.
Esposito’s latest goal also saw him enter the history books.
According to OptaPaolo, the 21-year-old has become only the second player in Italy’s history to score seven goals for the national team at the age of 21 or younger.
The only player to achieve the feat before him was Italian legend Giuseppe Meazza, who reached seven international goals at the age of 20 years and 155 days in 1931.
For Italy, Esposito’s emergence could represent more than just another promising young talent. He may finally be the missing piece in the Azzurri’s search for a reliable goalscorer.
