Lorenzo Lucca is all too aware of how not only is it difficult to score, but constantly providing your team-mates with an outlet for them to get up the pitch can be even more challenging. The player has been steadfast in terms of his commitment to attacking and defending in equal measure, which certainly applied on Monday evening away to Juventus, as Lucca explained on Udinese Tonight.
“It was a tough game, particularly mentally. We went into it off the back of a few games in which we had dropped points that we felt that we should’ve claimed. We’re pleased about it and it’s a win that boosts morale ahead of facing Cagliari in a match against a direct rival.”
There was a feeling in training leading up the victory over the Old Lady that a big result was on the cards, which Lucca touched upon.
“While talking to Walace in the week, I said to him I had a good feeling about the game and I thought we would win. He came up to me in training on Saturday and said, ‘I think so too, Lori.’ There are so many young players in the squad, so the ‘older’ ones like Wally, Roberto Pereyra and Marco Silvestri always help us stay fully focused.”
The trend of putting so much in and not getting results can have a destabilising impact on a team, as the 23-year-old explained.
“If you work hard for a whole week and then lose in the final minutes, it’s hard to face the next game, but that’s football. You always have to be strong enough to go again each time, knowing that you can turn it around eery Sunday and change other people’s opinions. We did well against Juve. The coach told us they’d make a fast start and we were ready for that in terms of our marking. It was an almost-perfect defensive display. My job was to stay on [Manuel] Locatelli and make it hard for Bremer, who I’d already come across in pre-season when I was at Torino. It was Florian Thauvin’s job to press the other two defenders either side of him and make it hard for them.”
Lucca also spoke about how much his game has improved while in Friuli. “I think I’ve improved so much. I thought I could do well in Serie A, but I found myself up against a mental block along with the team. In the first few games, I was unable to help my team-mates and they were unable to help me. We didn’t know one another and we were all getting used to this division.
“In order to be a complete player, you need to work on everything. In the week, I always try to add more things to my technical know-how, including set pieces.”
The hard work at Udinese is geared towards “climbing the table” but there are other targets as well, such as “being involved this summer” in international duty. The possible call-up hinges on performances for Gabriele Cioffi’s Udinese, who are fully focused on the next match in slightly unusual conditions.
“We’re looking forward to having the fans behind us, although we know that the Curva Nord will be shut. I hope there are lots of supporters in all the other stands. I’ve heard that Cagliari’s travelling fans will be heading over in big numbers, so we’ll need all our supporters to be right behind us to claim the three points.”