Politano, a new lease of life: link-up with Di Lorenzo and Neres lifts him | OneFootball

Among the many merits of Conte's management, there is one that risks going unnoticed but represents a masterpiece of tactical engineering: the "new life" of Matteo Politano in football. What we are admiring is not just a player in form, but a reinvented athlete, to whom the coach from Salento has tailored a role that seemed unthinkable just a year ago.

Conte's Masterpiece: Politano Reinvented as a Wingback. Sacrifice and Assists: Now He's a Key Player

The evolution started from afar, getting the former Inter player used to defensive sacrifice already in last season's 4-3-3, but it is in the new setup that the design has been completed. Politano has transformed into a modern wingback, a demanding role where running backward does not cloud his forward clarity. On the contrary, the real turning point is the synergy created on the right flank with Di Lorenzo and the inclusion of David Neres: a clockwork mechanism that often allows Politano to find himself isolated in one-on-one situations over short distances, his specialty. Freed from exhausting marking duties thanks to his teammates' coverage, Politano has surprisingly refined his technical skills. Not being a naturally relentless goal scorer, Conte has turned him into an assist machine. A "tailor-made suit" that fits him perfectly: perhaps fewer goals, but a centrality in the game and a quality in the final pass that make him, once again, indispensable today.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.