Gonzalo Higuain looks to be finding his form at the perfect time for Napoli ahead of a crucial series of matches before the Christmas break.
Napoli have invested heavily in Higuain following his reportedly near €40 million move from Real Madrid last summer and while his impact has perhaps been not as instant as many would have hoped, he demonstrated why the Partenopei have decided to put their faith in him during the 4-2 win over Lazio.
In a highly entertaining and open match with both sides committed to winning the game, El Pipita was the man of the match after bagging a brace in the Stadio Olimpico triumph.
It could be argued that the contrast between the strikers was the difference for both sides. Lazio were without Miroslav Klose and while Brayan Perea worked tirelessly for the Biancocelesti throughout the match, he was unable to compete with the clinical finishing of the 25-year-old striker and his Napoli team-mates.
Lazio tried to press high up the pitch throughout the game and not allow Napoli to retain possession and control the tempo. Together with a bumpy playing surface, this meant that the Azzurri played several longer balls. However this proved to be extremely effective because of the threat of Higuain, who was making clever runs off the Aquile central defenders throughout the entire match.
Higuain had been making these intelligent runs from the early stages of the game and it paid off for the opening goal. The forward was found quickly by Gokhan Inler after the midfielder had won possession inside his own half. Higuain turned past Lorik Cana and then showed great pace and strength to hold off Michael Ciani before toeing the ball past Federico Marchetti.
Goran Pandev had been looking to find space between the Lazio midfield and back four throughout the game, but it was only until the second half that the former Lazio player was able to have an impact on the game as the opposition tired.
This was clear for Napoli’s third goal when Pandev had plenty of space to find Higuain with a beautifully weighted pace, which allowed the forward to pull away from Cana once again before finishing emphatically.
Going into the Lazio game, the Argentine international had scored five times in twelve Serie A appearances but had not found the net from open play in the league since September 22. This has meant that many are expecting even more from the striker over the course of the season.
The individual skill Higuain showed for his first strike is an example of the type of goal that many are expecting him to produce for the Partenopei. However what is perhaps been more important is El Pipita’s work for the team, a quality that has been both acknowledged and appreciated by his team-mates.
Coach Rafael Benitez has also keen to reiterate that Higuain’s teamwork is more important than goals. “The most important thing is not just that he scored, but that he put in a good performance, scared defenders and create space for team-mates,” the Spaniard told the media after the match.
It is also easy to forget that the Argentine forward had only completed ninety minutes on twelve occasions for Real Madrid during his final season at the Santiago Bernabeu. This has meant that Higuain has had to adjust to different recovery times between matches.
“He is playing a game every three days. To date, he has played more games than last season in Madrid. He is once again becoming an athlete,” Napoli club doctor Federico Di Nicola had told Tuttosport prior to the match.
Di Nicola also believes that the former Galactico will reach his full potential once he acclimatises to playing regular football once again.
“As a footballer, I would say he is currently at eighty per cent. I am sure that he has enormous potential and exceptional physical gifts that will awaken,” the doctor continued.
Napoli have gone back to within six points of leaders Juventus following their first Serie A game away at Lazio for five years. The win was also an important psychological boost having finally ended a run of three straight defeats both domestically and in the Champions League. Next for the Partenopei is the visit of Udinese to the San Paolo on Saturday.
