Six Napoli players competed in international friendlies on Sunday: Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Matteo Politano and Giancomo Raspadori for Italy; Stanislav Lobotka for Slovakia; Leo Østigård for Norward; and Eljif Elmas for North Macedonia.
First in 62 Years
Three Napoli players started in Italy’s 2-0 loss to Austria: Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Matteo Politano and Giacomo Raspadori.
Though the Napoli contingent played well, Italy as a whole did not. Gli Azzurri were very open at the back and conceded a number of chances to their neighbors to the north.
Austria opened the scoring on a counterattack, after Marco Verratti’s claims for a foul fell on deaf ears. Marko Arnautovic held the ball long enough for Xaver Schlager to join the attack. The RB Leipzig midfielder received the pass on the overlap before beating Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot. Donnarumma, who returned to the starting XI after Alex Meret started in Italy’s friendly against Albania, got a piece of the ball, but not enough to keep it out.
David Alaba doubled Austria’s lead in the 35th
minute. The defender’s thumping free kick swerved past Donnarumma before hitting the underside of the crossbar and ending up in the back of the goal.
Matteo Politano, who played 45 minutes in the match, came close to pulling one back three minutes before the break. However, the winger’s shot towards the near post was pushed aside by Austrian goalkeeper Heinz Lindner. Giovanni Di Lorenzo was also replaced at the start of the first half, after appearing to injure his wrist moments before break.
With four substitutions to start the second half, Italy looked much more dangerous in attack and much more secure at the back. Raspadori had Italy’s best chance of the match in the 71st minute, moments before he was substituted out of the match.
Marco Verratti picked out his run with a chip pass into the area. The Napoli forward did well to take down the pass before wriggling through the Austrian’s defense. With the hard work done, he had only Schlager to beat, but somehow the keeper got his heel on the ball to stop the shot.
That was one of a number of chances Italy squandered in the second half, ultimately causing them to suffer their first defeat to Austria in 62 years.
Hanging Up International Boots
Stanislav Lobotka played the full 90 minutes in Slovakia’s scoreless draw to Chile. However, Marek Hamšík was the star of the show, playing in his career final match in international competition.
The former Napoli captain, who wears the number 17, received a standing ovation both in the 17th minute and in the 89th minute, when he was removed from the match. Hamšík was overwhelmed with emotion as he realized his international playing career had come to an end. In truth, there were few dry eyes at the Tehelné pole in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Even Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona shed a tear. Calzona had the pleasure of coaching Hamšík during his first stint as assistant coach of Napoli, serving under Rafael Benítez between 2015 and 2018.
Hamšík, who was the leader of the Azzurri midfield, is also responsible for bringing the current leader of the midfield to Napoli. In 2018, Hamšík confirmed to Slovakian press that Napoli had asked him about Lobotka and Lobotka asked him about Napoli. The outgoing captain recommended his compatriot to the club.
Meanwhile, Lobotka did not have his best performance in a Slovakia shirt. The deep-lying playmaker conceded possession in the Slovakia half on more than one occasion, though Chile, who were the better side on the whole, failed to take their opportunities.
Attacking the Ball
Leo Østigård played the full 90 minutes in Norway’s 1-1 draw against Finland. Both sides created chances in yet another very competitive friendly.
Norway opened the scoring in the 31st minute, when Daniel O’Shaughnessy crossed the ball into the area from the left side of the midfield. Benjamin Kallman got in front of Østigård and directed a powerful header into the bottom corner.
Norway responded well, nearly equalizing on two separate occasions within five minutes of conceding. In the 34th minute, Østigård was clearly pulled down in the area on a Norway corner kick. With VAR not available for friendly matches, the penalty wasn’t given. Moments later, Patrick Berg watched his powerful strike crash off the upright and stay out.
Norway persisted and equalized only 40 seconds after the restart. Alexander Sorloth, who might well have been in an offside position, tapped in a delicious ball from right back Marcus Pedersen.
Norway seemed the more likely side to score again in the second half, and Østigård was very nearly the player to do it. Much like his goal against the Republic of Ireland – Østigård’s first for his country – the Napoli centre back attacked the corner kick taken by Martin Odegaard. The header would have found the back of the goal had it not been for a quick reaction save from Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Instead, the match finished 1-1.
Diamond in the Rain
Eljif Elmas played 76 minutes in the pouring rain during North Macedonia’s 1-3 defeat to Azerbaijan.
As usual, Elmas was the star of the North Macedonia attack, creating their first chance in the sixth minute. The Napoli winger/midfielder cut in from the left wing before going for goal, but the shot lacked the curl needed to sneak inside the far post.
Elmas was back at it midway through the first half. After his cross was cleared, the winger nipped in to win the ball from Aleksey Isayev, who clumsily fouled Elmas in the area. Trabzonspor midfielder Enis Bardhi stepped up and converted the penalty with confidence to give North Macedonia the lead.
However, that was the highpoint of the match for North Macedonia. Azerbaijan equalized in the 38th minute, when left back Elvin Cafarguliyev slotted a weak but accurate shot into the side netting. Shortly after the restart, North Macedonia midfielder Boban Nikolov was shown his second yellow for a late tackle on Cafarguliyev. Azerbaijan went ahead seven minutes later, when Musa Qurbanlı headed in at the first post.
With 10 men, North Macedonia shifted into a 4-4-1 formation, with Elmas playing as the lone striker. Playing in that role, the Diamond nearly equalized midway through the second half. Elmas was afforded a free header in the area from Bardhi’s free kick, but the finish was poor and fell safely into the hands of goalkeeper Sahruddin Mehemmedeliyev.
Moments before Elmas was substituted, North Macedonia were let back in the match after Hojjat Haghverdi was shown a straight red card for a tackle that was, at best, a yellow card offense.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan put the match away in the 88th minute with another header at the first post, this time from captain Ramil Sheydayev.
