What a cold shower for Kvaratskhelia: a tough live attack for Napoli’s Georgian striker.
The challenge between Naples and Lazioplayed at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, represented another significant chapter of the season for both teams. Marco Baroni’s Biancocelesti won by a narrow margin, thanks to a goal The Isaacin a balanced match but which left a bad taste in the mouths of the Neapolitan fans. Antonio Conte’s Napoli, despite a constant effort, was unable to find a way to score, with a performance that was at times sub-par compared to the expected standards.
Among the most anticipated protagonists, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia he had an up-and-down evening, showing flashes of his talent but never really making an impact over the course of the ninety minutes. The Georgian, who last season established himself as one of the absolute revelations of European football, continues to experience a phase of ups and downs.
The number 77, despite having demonstrated unique qualities in his ability to skip men and create dangers on the wing, seems to struggle to find the continuity that had made him an unpredictable and lethal player. Against Lazio, Napoli’s talent showed its repertoire only at times, yesevading the marking of the Biancocelesti defenders on some occasions, but without managing to transform these plays into decisive episodes for his team. And, as usual, comments from the experts are not long in coming.
Kvaratskhelia in the spotlight: harsh criticism of the Georgian
After the Napoli-Lazio match, the analysis of his performance was the subject of discussion in the Sky Sport studios.
Among the guests in the studio, the former midfielder Riccardo Montolivo offered a critical reading of the situation Kvaratskhelia: “The first year he surprised everyone because almost no one knew him. The tactical preparations and marking against him were not as stringent as now. I don’t think he’s one of the top players in Europe. Already in the first year he had dropped in terms of goals and assists.” These words highlight a key theme: the surprise effect that characterized the Georgian’s first season seems to have exhausted itself, and with it, part of its incisiveness.
The opponents, now aware of his qualities, prepare more carefully to limit him, and Kvaratskhelia appears to be having difficulty finding new solutions. Despite this, his potential is unquestionable, and the challenge for him will be to demonstrate that he can evolve, adapt to new tactical dynamics and return to being a decisive element for Napoli. The season is still long, and the former Rubin Kazan will have many opportunities to refute the criticisms and reaffirm himself among the protagonists of European football.
