After a fanfare debut in Paris, the blow of the breakdown for Mauro Icardi.
And soon the return to grace?
A darling time of San Siro and captain of Inter Milan, the Argentine international striker (8 sel., 1 goal) was pushed towards the exit and to PSG in the summer of 2019, at the very end of the transfer window.
A loan with an option to buy that looks like a hold-up for Leonardo, knowing that we were talking about a 26-year-old player at the time who martyred the Italian defenses for many years after having studied at the Masia of Barça, with Sampdoria Genoa (33 matches, 11 goals) and Internazionale (219 matches, 114 goals).
17 goals in his first 19 matches in Paris
And Icardi was quick to do the same with PSG.
On his first 19 Parisian outings, after a hat-trick against ASSE in the Coupe de la Ligue at the start of January (6-1), he "slammed" 17 goals out of 24 shots on target, one for every 19 balls.
A machine… At that time, Edinson Cavani was relegated to the rank of luxury understudy.
At least when his body allowed him to take a seat on the bench.
However, the dynamic was reversed over the weeks and it was the Matador who started against Dortmund (2-0), in the round of 16 second leg of C1.
Little by little, Icardi entered the spiral of doubt.
Hell spiral for an attacker.
After the Covid-19 break, the departure of Cavani and the final transfer of Icardi (€ 50 million excluding bonus), confidence has still not returned.
Whether in the cup finals or in the "Final 8" of the Champions League, the Argentinian goleador has dragged on the ground like a lost soul.
Although, he only played 79 (bad) quarter minutes against Atalanta (2-1) in Portugal.
He did not take off from the bench neither against Leipzig (3-0), nor against Bayern (0-1), Tuchel preferring to align Neymar in false-nine in a 4-3-3.
And it is even Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, hero of Bergamo, who was used out of the bench… Hard.
"He is going through a difficult phase, he lacks a little confidence"
Thomas tuchel
Since the resumption, the coronavirus has deprived Icardi of the first two matches (Lens, OM).
And we haven't seen him much more bloody against Metz (1-0) and Nice (0-3) than in previous weeks.
Although, in the game, there is better.
In Lisbon for example, the Argentinian was not only in need of goals, he could not even make the right calls.
Useless.
In Nice last week (0-3), he played Icardi, without touching a lot of balls (16), but fighting (2 tackles) and especially by creating opportunities (2 shots, 1 on target), making the right calls and being fair in his choices (1 last pass before a shot).
But his game is like this: Mauro Icardi needs to score to be valuable.
And he didn't.
The fault of Walter Benitez, the greediness of Kylian Mbappé sometimes, the fault of his clumsiness above all.
“He is going through a difficult phase.
He lacks a little confidence, ”recognizes Thomas Tuchel.
Mauro Icardi has not scored since February 29
It remains to find the recipe.
"He must remain calm and continue to work, promises Tuchel, not very worried and above all quite helpless in the face of the crisis of confidence of his center forward.
The last percent, I can't give it by talking, or with exercises in the field.
You have to score.
You can only try to create a lot of opportunities for him.
We did it.
He had a good week with us.
I am confident it will come back.
It's necessary.
We have confidence in all our players.
At times there are more difficult situations.
It's the same with Pablo Sarabia.
I spoke with him also so that he does not lose his confidence, his joy, the smile, because he is still working.
So we will push them and give them confidence. ”
With the “Fantastic Four” in Reims?
It is true that the Spanish winger has hardly shone since the start of the season.
Neither in the statistics (4 matches, 3 starts, 0 goal, 0 assist), nor in the game. The ex-Sévillan may have to wait his turn on the bench in Reims this Sunday (9 p.m.), during the fifth day of Ligue 1, if Tuchel decides to use his "fantastic four" one last time before the suspension of Angel Di Maria (4 matches).
Neymar and Mbappé, they are "sure" to start at Auguste-Delaune.
A tandem that "changes everything", says Tuchel.
And who should provide the necessary space for Icardi, and vice versa.
It's up to him to take advantage of it.
Read also
League 1 standings
