Italians invoke Pio Esposito

The playoff semifinal against Northern Ireland laid bare again an issue that had already been debated in the days leading up to the match regarding the national team’s offensive department: the condition of Mateo Retegui. Italy still won 2-0 and clinched a place in the finals, but the performance of the class of 1999 striker, in force at Al-Qadisiya but currently stationary, at club level, due to the stop imposed by the geopolitical situation on the Saudi league, has rekindled doubts and discussions among fans.

In fact, on social media, the chorus is unanimous: against Bosnia, a different kind of energy will be needed, exemplified by the performance of Pio Esposito, who entered at 64′ precisely in place of Retegui. The Inter player, in the half-hour put at his disposal by coach Gattuso, failed to score but created more than one headache for the opponent’s defense, opening up spaces for Kean (who scored with his second goal in the final) and even came close to scoring with a header saved on the line.

There were therefore many who asked, via Facebook, Instagram and X, the Azzurri coach to reverse the positions on the roster for Tuesday’s final match against Bosnia, choosing Esposito as the starter and using Retegui as a substitute if needed. The contrast between Retegui’s opaque evening and Esposito’s immediate impact has fueled a debate that, just days before the decisive match to go to the World Cup, is set to become one of the central themes until minutes before kickoff.

Gattuso, therefore, will have to decide whether to confirm the Kean-Retegui pairing or reward the momentum of the 2005 class, who before taking the field Thursday night in Bergamo had scored two goals in as many games with the Inter shirt, in the 1-1 draws against Atalanta at the San Siro on March 14 and against Fiorentina away eight days later. The people on social media, meanwhile, were almost totally in favor of the Nerazzurri striker.