Napoli is going through a difficult period, with weak defensive mobility and poor attack causing concern. In this situation, Massimiliano Allegri’s internal reorganization of the team is facing major difficulties. Apart from players like De Bruyne, McTominay and Anguissa, there are no other heroes to pull the team into the attacking third. With Lucca out of action and the baton in the wings due to injuries, the only reference point in attack remains Rasmus Hojlund. However, his performance against Roma was once again disappointing, highlighting his current problems.
The Danish striker, who stands 191 centimetres tall, is failing to exploit his potential in the opponent’s area. Although in Saturday’s match at the “Maradona” his commitment cannot be denied – he sacrificed himself for the team, offered defensive returns, ran tirelessly, won balls and got close to the goal with a header – his figures remain worrying. Even though advanced statistics such as xG (0.41) and xA (0.46) were among the best of the season for him, his goalscoring is not improving. Hojlund has scored only two goals and has gone eight matches without a goal, celebrating only against Como and Inter at the start of the league campaign.
His overall Serie A statistics paint a bleak picture. In 550 minutes of play, he has a total xG of 1.43 and xA of 0.87, ranking him 42nd for chances created among all players in the league. He ranks behind De Bruyne (11th), Mathias Olivera (37th) and Noa Lang (40th). His average xG per match, 0.33, places him 90th. Even his defensive efforts appear invisible, with zero interceptions, duels won or blocked shots. However, Hojlund’s heat map tells a different story: he is everywhere, covers the entire attacking front, creates density in the penalty area and runs an average of 9.4 km per match, with 16.4 sprints. This shows great physical commitment, but without the necessary efficiency in finishing.
Hojlund seems increasingly isolated and perhaps desperate, having been forced to pull the whole attacking unit since his arrival at Napoli, first because of Lucca’s refusal and then because of Lukaku’s failure to integrate after injury. The many minutes he played last season (nearly 4,000) may have affected his clarity in front of goal. Massimiliano Allegri, who before the Roma match stated that Hojlund has played all of Napoli’s and the national team’s matches, supports this thesis, adding that he is satisfied with what he is doing and that he should stay calm. However, his performance with Denmark, with three goals and an own goal in four matches, has created an illusion. Hojlund, one of the most expensive signings of the De Laurentiis era at 50 million euros with a salary of 5 million euros per season, has the quality that Conte promoted as “a great talent”. He has time and quality to improve his value and to counter the current figures.
Taken from La Gazzetta dello Sport