This 23-year-old striker from Argentina scored his second goal in two caps with Italy, who won in Malta (0-2) on Sunday.
Good news and great stories are rare at the moment with the Italy team, but this one is clearly worth a look. Mateo Retegui, this striker that nobody knew before last week, has just scored his second goal in two selections with the Nazionale.
Rete-who? This 23-year-old player plays in Argentina, in his country of birth, with the modest club Tigre, where he is on loan from Boca Juniors. Hearing that he had scored 6 goals in 8 league games, the Italian federation became interested in this player who has Italian ancestry through his grandparents. And as Roberto Mancini is crying out for pure No. 9, here he gets the chance of his life.
Launched into the deep end against England, Retegui had scored his team’s only goal against the Three Lions (1-2), with a gesture from the center forward. In Malta, this Sunday, Mancini had decided to change eight holders out of eleven. But he kept his goalkeeper and captain (Donnarumma), his right side (Di Lorenzo) and therefore his new striker.
Retegui was still present, since it was he who opened the scoring with a header, on a corner from Tonali (0-1, 25th). The San Fernando native launched his team on the path to a victory without a huge splash, since there will be only one other goal, signed Matteo Pessina (0-2, 27th). Retegui, he left in the 66th minute to make way for his direct competitor, Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham). But he no doubt made an appointment for the final phase of the Nations League in June, at the same time as he probably increased his rating with Serie A recruiters.
Mateo Retegui will quickly become the darling of the Squadra at this rate. He seems to have a very good heading game. pic.twitter.com/CK4W4noTSW
— Match sheet (@fdematch) March 26, 2023
