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Assessing Italy’s options up front: How will the Azzurri line up to defend their Euros title?

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Italy’s Euro 2020 win came despite their obvious problems up front and years have gone by since that glorious day at Wembley in 2021, but the issue around selection still persists. Luciano Spalletti has been tasked with solving a problem which can define Italy’s European Championship campaign in 2024.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Ciro Immobile was an important part of the Azzurri side during the Euros triumph under Roberto Mancini but that didn’t stop criticism coming his way. That criticism lingered on for quite a while and while reports did just suggest that the Lazio man would announce his international retirement, he has simply become an afterthought for Italy in 2024.

Gianluca Scamacca was seen as someone who would become the next starting striker for Italy but things haven’t quite taken off for the former West Ham man. The striker crisis saw Italy fail to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, leaving then-manager Mancini to seek external imports and the Italian football federation (FIGC) obeyed.  

Mateo Retegui, who was then loaned out to Tigres by Boca Juniors, became an unlikely choice for Mancini. The decision to call up the northern Buenos Aires-born striker raised eyebrows as it was something fresh. Retegui was eligible to represent the Azzurri because of the Italian heritage of his grandparents and he came from a sporting family too, with his father having represented Argentina in hockey. So far, the choice has proved to be a wise one and the current Genoa star has four goals in six games for the Azzurri.

Despite that, the dilemma lingers on for Spalletti. There are question marks about whether Retegui is ready or not, whether Scamacca can make the step up or if Immobile is still the man. At the same time, there are names such as Giacomo Raspadori and Lorenzo Lucca, who were called up for the recent friendlies in the United States.

An Immobile ‘rimonta’?

Immobile’s last game for Italy came back in August 2023 and he hasn’t been part of the squad since. The ongoing season has been a turbulent one for Lazio and the Juventus youth graduate has suffered due to tactical reasons and fitness issues, scoring only six times so far in the league. Even though he has been sometimes globally criticised for his performances for Italy, he has contributed to 25 goals in 57 games for the side.

The poor season has been characterised by him becoming slower than he was, and he has underperformed on his xG too, perhaps suggesting that he can’t get into the goal scoring areas that he used to earlier in his career.

He is taking over two shots on target per 90 minutes, but four of his six goals have been penalties, which makes things all the more disappointing for Immobile. It could point towards the fact that he isn’t the finisher he was. That could be down to injuries, or simply, the passing of time.

Italy want someone fresh and someone who is raring to make an impact, especially with the title to be retained and pride at stake. With younger options available, it might be time to cut ties with Immobile.

Making a case for Retegui

When Retegui scored on his debut against England, comparisons were instantly made with Jamie Vardy. Because of their rather diminutive and rather lean physique and their tendency to be runners in-behind, the comparison was rather obvious. While Retegui may not be as prolific as the Leicester City legend, their profiles do have similarities. The 24-year-old is also a fox in the box.

His shot map for Genoa, this season, certainly shows that and apart from his ability to run in-behind and find the right areas in the final third, Retegui is also effective at winning his duels despite a slightly smaller frame than the likes of Immobile and Scamacca.

One area where the Genoa man lacks is his on-the-ball ability, as he is barely a prolific dribbler or a passer, with his chances created metric at a disappointing 0.53 per 90 minutes. This does mean that he relies on service which he doesn’t always get at Genoa despite the Rossoblu being something of a surprise package under Alberto Gilardino.

Having said that, he thrives for the Azzurri because he receives much more service and he operates in a superior side. Spalletti’s recent experiment with a 3-4-2-1 could help Retegui rely more on threaded passes and passes to feet from the number tens behind him. A setup like that could definitely suit him. Even at Tigres, he operated in a fairly attacking setup and scored 35 times in 70 games in what was a very good goalscoring run.

And based on form and how he thrives upfront with better quality around him, Retegui should be in Italy’s squad.

Scamacca to prove his worth?

Scamacca is now 25 and has been around the Azzurri setup since 2021, when he was thriving at Sassuolo. The West Ham move, due to tactical and fitness reasons, didn’t go to plan and while he has had some good moments at Atalanta, there has been a lack of consistency. La Dea boss Gian Piero Gasperini has also spoke about a lack of effort from him and he stated in a recent interview with L’Eco di Bergamo:

“He has to run because he isn’t running much. If he is so undynamic he won’t be able to do anything good. Even if he has these important qualities…”

Scamacca is essentially a technical forward who may not always run as much as Gasperini likes, but he is neat with his feet despite a tall frame and can always be willing to break his nose when trying to score. He often showcases supreme link-up with those around him and that perhaps took root because of his street football background. Sometimes though, it does seem as if he tries too hard and that makes him seem inconsistent.

Despite inconsistency, injuries and criticism from Gasperini, the ex-Hammer has 0.55 goals per 90 minutes (85 percentile) and he is scoring more than his xG. Atalanta are a fairly attacking unit who rely on constant wide overloads and strikers do get loads of quality service. But Scamacca is still scoring more than he is expected to when he’s fit and healthy.

More than that, he is also showing his trademark technical ability that sets him apart from not just many strikers in Europe, but from any other Italian striker too.

If he was fit, Scamacca would’ve surely scored more and he will too in what remains of the season. He is unique and almost Zlatan Ibrahimović-like, offering something fresh to the Azzurri setup.

While Retegui is more of a runner in-behind, Scamacca offers superior link-up and is perhaps better suited when Italy have more possession, and there will be games when Spalletti’s side will have to do that. A Spalletti side likes to dominate possession and even if Scamacca doesn’t start every game, he is a very solid option to have in the squad.

The Lorenzo Lucca and Giacomo Raspadori debates

Lucca, on loan at Udinese, is having a solid season in a poor side, scoring seven times. Rated highly by many since he was a teenager, things are looking up for the 23-year-old after a barren loan spell at Ajax, and parent club Pisa have a real talent on their hands.

An aerial dominator, Lucca could offer a threat off the bench during desperate times. He remains untested in possession heavy sides and at 23, he will get a lot of chances with the Azzurri later in his career, but his slightly limited profile holds him back at present. It won’t be a surprise if he is excluded from the final squad for the Euros but he could be an option that Spalletti uses to grab an aerial advantage when in need of goals.

As for Raspadori, the Napoli man is in a bit of a conundrum. He has played as Italy’s striker and has scored thrice while playing upfront, but his club career has shown that he is best operating just behind the striker, or around the striker. He has the ability to open defences up from the final third and help those around him.

More than anything, he is much more versatile than Scamacca, Retegui, or Lucca. For both club and country, he has played behind the striker, on the left and upfront. In a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-2-1, a player like Raspadori could prove vital while also providing important depth, goals, and quality. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Italy game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Assessing Italy’s options up front: How will the Azzurri line up to defend their Euros title?

Italy’s Euro 2020 win came despite their obvious problems up front and years have gone by since that glorious day at Wembley in 2021, but the issue around selection still persists. Luciano Spalletti has been tasked with solving a problem which can define Italy’s European Championship campaign in 2024.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Ciro Immobile was an important part of the Azzurri side during the Euros triumph under Roberto Mancini but that didn’t stop criticism coming his way. That criticism lingered on for quite a while and while reports did just suggest that the Lazio man would announce his international retirement, he has simply become an afterthought for Italy in 2024.

Gianluca Scamacca was seen as someone who would become the next starting striker for Italy but things haven’t quite taken off for the former West Ham man. The striker crisis saw Italy fail to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, leaving then-manager Mancini to seek external imports and the Italian football federation (FIGC) obeyed.  

Mateo Retegui, who was then loaned out to Tigres by Boca Juniors, became an unlikely choice for Mancini. The decision to call up the northern Buenos Aires-born striker raised eyebrows as it was something fresh. Retegui was eligible to represent the Azzurri because of the Italian heritage of his grandparents and he came from a sporting family too, with his father having represented Argentina in hockey. So far, the choice has proved to be a wise one and the current Genoa star has four goals in six games for the Azzurri.

Despite that, the dilemma lingers on for Spalletti. There are question marks about whether Retegui is ready or not, whether Scamacca can make the step up or if Immobile is still the man. At the same time, there are names such as Giacomo Raspadori and Lorenzo Lucca, who were called up for the recent friendlies in the United States.

An Immobile ‘rimonta’?

Immobile’s last game for Italy came back in August 2023 and he hasn’t been part of the squad since. The ongoing season has been a turbulent one for Lazio and the Juventus youth graduate has suffered due to tactical reasons and fitness issues, scoring only six times so far in the league. Even though he has been sometimes globally criticised for his performances for Italy, he has contributed to 25 goals in 57 games for the side.

The poor season has been characterised by him becoming slower than he was, and he has underperformed on his xG too, perhaps suggesting that he can’t get into the goal scoring areas that he used to earlier in his career.

He is taking over two shots on target per 90 minutes, but four of his six goals have been penalties, which makes things all the more disappointing for Immobile. It could point towards the fact that he isn’t the finisher he was. That could be down to injuries, or simply, the passing of time.

Italy want someone fresh and someone who is raring to make an impact, especially with the title to be retained and pride at stake. With younger options available, it might be time to cut ties with Immobile.

Making a case for Retegui

When Retegui scored on his debut against England, comparisons were instantly made with Jamie Vardy. Because of their rather diminutive and rather lean physique and their tendency to be runners in-behind, the comparison was rather obvious. While Retegui may not be as prolific as the Leicester City legend, their profiles do have similarities. The 24-year-old is also a fox in the box.

His shot map for Genoa, this season, certainly shows that and apart from his ability to run in-behind and find the right areas in the final third, Retegui is also effective at winning his duels despite a slightly smaller frame than the likes of Immobile and Scamacca.

One area where the Genoa man lacks is his on-the-ball ability, as he is barely a prolific dribbler or a passer, with his chances created metric at a disappointing 0.53 per 90 minutes. This does mean that he relies on service which he doesn’t always get at Genoa despite the Rossoblu being something of a surprise package under Alberto Gilardino.

Having said that, he thrives for the Azzurri because he receives much more service and he operates in a superior side. Spalletti’s recent experiment with a 3-4-2-1 could help Retegui rely more on threaded passes and passes to feet from the number tens behind him. A setup like that could definitely suit him. Even at Tigres, he operated in a fairly attacking setup and scored 35 times in 70 games in what was a very good goalscoring run.

And based on form and how he thrives upfront with better quality around him, Retegui should be in Italy’s squad.

Scamacca to prove his worth?

Scamacca is now 25 and has been around the Azzurri setup since 2021, when he was thriving at Sassuolo. The West Ham move, due to tactical and fitness reasons, didn’t go to plan and while he has had some good moments at Atalanta, there has been a lack of consistency. La Dea boss Gian Piero Gasperini has also spoke about a lack of effort from him and he stated in a recent interview with L’Eco di Bergamo:

“He has to run because he isn’t running much. If he is so undynamic he won’t be able to do anything good. Even if he has these important qualities…”

Scamacca is essentially a technical forward who may not always run as much as Gasperini likes, but he is neat with his feet despite a tall frame and can always be willing to break his nose when trying to score. He often showcases supreme link-up with those around him and that perhaps took root because of his street football background. Sometimes though, it does seem as if he tries too hard and that makes him seem inconsistent.

Despite inconsistency, injuries and criticism from Gasperini, the ex-Hammer has 0.55 goals per 90 minutes (85 percentile) and he is scoring more than his xG. Atalanta are a fairly attacking unit who rely on constant wide overloads and strikers do get loads of quality service. But Scamacca is still scoring more than he is expected to when he’s fit and healthy.

More than that, he is also showing his trademark technical ability that sets him apart from not just many strikers in Europe, but from any other Italian striker too.

If he was fit, Scamacca would’ve surely scored more and he will too in what remains of the season. He is unique and almost Zlatan Ibrahimović-like, offering something fresh to the Azzurri setup.

While Retegui is more of a runner in-behind, Scamacca offers superior link-up and is perhaps better suited when Italy have more possession, and there will be games when Spalletti’s side will have to do that. A Spalletti side likes to dominate possession and even if Scamacca doesn’t start every game, he is a very solid option to have in the squad.

The Lorenzo Lucca and Giacomo Raspadori debates

Lucca, on loan at Udinese, is having a solid season in a poor side, scoring seven times. Rated highly by many since he was a teenager, things are looking up for the 23-year-old after a barren loan spell at Ajax, and parent club Pisa have a real talent on their hands.

An aerial dominator, Lucca could offer a threat off the bench during desperate times. He remains untested in possession heavy sides and at 23, he will get a lot of chances with the Azzurri later in his career, but his slightly limited profile holds him back at present. It won’t be a surprise if he is excluded from the final squad for the Euros but he could be an option that Spalletti uses to grab an aerial advantage when in need of goals.

As for Raspadori, the Napoli man is in a bit of a conundrum. He has played as Italy’s striker and has scored thrice while playing upfront, but his club career has shown that he is best operating just behind the striker, or around the striker. He has the ability to open defences up from the final third and help those around him.

More than anything, he is much more versatile than Scamacca, Retegui, or Lucca. For both club and country, he has played behind the striker, on the left and upfront. In a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-2-1, a player like Raspadori could prove vital while also providing important depth, goals, and quality. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Italy game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.