Tribal Football

Italy coach Spalletti: Newcastle midfielder Tonali like a wild horse

Paul Vegas
Italy coach Spalletti: Newcastle midfielder Tonali like a wild horse
Italy coach Spalletti: Newcastle midfielder Tonali like a wild horseAction Plus
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti is delighted with the form of Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali.

Tonali was the matchwinner against Belgium in midweek, performing superbly in midfield alongside Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella.

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Spalletti said, "They were perfect.

"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 Lorenzo Pellegrini. He also has some good qualities.

"Davide 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."