Spalletti applauds ‘master’ Barella and explains how he sees Tonali | OneFootball

Coach Luciano Spalletti admitted Italy have an ‘incredibly strong’ midfield department as he applauded the likes of Nicolò Barella, Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Rovella for their ‘perfect’ display against Belgium.

The Azzurri’s winner that secured a spot in the Nations League’s quarter-finals had two midfielders involved, with Barella playing a smart through pass for Giovanni Di Lorenzo, whose cross was then met by Sandro Tonali for his first-ever international goal.

Spalletti in a training session for Italy

Italy’s starting line-up on Thursday included four midfielders, with Barella playing more advanced in support of lone striker Mateo Retegui, while Tonali, Rovella and Davide Frattesi were deployed in the five-man midfield line.

Luciano Spalletti was delighted with his players’ positioning and their quality, too, as he saw some ‘beautiful’ plays from them against Domenico Tedesco’s side.

Spalletti: Barella ‘perfect’ for more advanced role, Tonali and Frattesi like ‘horses’

“They were perfect,” Spalletti told during a post-match press conference speaking about his midfielders, as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb.

“Barella is a master at positioning himself to find spaces; he knows how to drop back and play as a double pivot.

“He can break beyond the defensive line like a second striker, he has a good shot from distance: he’s perfect for that role, which is what I had previously tried with Pellegrini. He also has some good qualities.

epa11721514 Sandro Tonali of Italy (L) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Belgium and Italy in Brussels, Belgium, 14 November 2024. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER MATTHYS

“Frattesi and Tonali seem more like runners, more like wild horses for open spaces. We have an incredibly strong midfield in terms of quality and the ability to sense where they need to position themselves.

“In football today, the one-on-one situation is what you seek, and you have to be able to read and perceive the space. Especially in the first half, we saw some beautiful, quick plays.”

Italy will take on France on Sunday in the final fixture of their Nations League group.