Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca is fast becoming a key player for coach Luca Cioffi’s team, particularly in home games.
While his sixth seasonal goal in the league match against Bologna might not be his most important, nor the one that had the greatest impact on the result – with Roberto Pereyra having scored earlier – it offered a clear demonstration of Lucca’s increasing certainty in front of the goal.
The goal, scored when Lucca found himself unmarked and ready to correct a skewed attempt by Lovric, showed two things; firstly that Lucca has become a reliable force for Udinese, and secondly, something he previously mentioned in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport last Friday.
In a statement to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lucca said, “I study the movements of Haaland who is structurally similar to me and is monstrous even though he is left-footed. I try to learn the movements inside the area; to score goals in Serie A against certain defenders you need to know how to move and understand how to hurt them. You must always be aware of the ball, goal and defender and stay in the defender’s shadow. And understand with a visual map that you control the defender.”
The precise skills he outlined in his statement were on full display when he scored, illustrating Lucca’s adaptability as a striker and his potential for growth in Udinese’s team.