Scott McTominay has been sent love from Italian media
Scott McTominay was at the centre of highs and lows for Napoli as the Italian side battled to a 3-2 win at Genoa on Saturday. The former Manchester United star scored a stunning goal for the Serie A champions before being forced off with an injury at half-time.
Napoli went behind to an early penalty but McTominay helped bring his side level, with United loanee Rasmus Hojlund tapping home his rebounded shot. The Scotland international then provided the highlight of the match by firing a long-range effort into the Genoa net just two minutes later.
However, the 29-year-old picked up an injury and was taken off at the interval, much to manager Antonio Conte’s disappointment. The home side equalised before the hour mark after capitalising on a defensive error and the game threatened to slip through Napoli’s fingers when Juan Jesus was sent off with 15 minutes remaining.
In McTominay’s absence, it was Hojlund who stepped up to be his side’s saviour, with his last-minute spot kick squirming under the goalkeeper to secure three points. Post-match, Napoli boss Conte provided an update on McTominay’s condition.
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“Scott has been dealing with this problem since the beginning of the year,” he said. “It’s an inflammation of the tendons in the area between the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings. This discomfort forces him to play at a reduced pace.
“He would have continued, but at the end of the first half I preferred to avoid any stupid risks. We’re talking about a key player for us, I need him to be 100%. We hope to get him back as soon as possible.”
Despite only playing half of the match, McTominay’s contributions were pivotal to a result that moved Napoli to six points behind leaders Inter Milan. Here is how Italian media outlets rated the ex-United midfielder’s performance.
Il Napolista
Earning credit for his role in Napoli’s first goal by “Prince Rasmus”, McTominay was lauded for “a magnificent moral brace”. The player ratings from Il Napolista gave the midfielder an eight.
His determination to carry on playing while injured was likened to Braveheart. Wishing McTominay a speedy recovery, the final line of his player rating read: “God save Scott McTominay.”
Corriere dello Sport
The Italian outlet scored McTominay an eight for his contributions while battling through the pain barrier. It was summed up by a sentence in Corriere dello Sport’s player ratings: “When the going gets tough, he’s always the toughest.”
His goal was described as “beautiful” and his all-round play was also labelled “exceptional”. The manner in which he continued to “shoot, run and fight like hell” saw him dubbed the “Rocky of football”.
Il Messaggero
The Italian publication admitted that McTominay’s injury problems did affect his performance. Il Messaggero described the team’s star midfielder as “not being at his best”, despite his willingness to play on.
Rather than focusing on his long-range effort, it was his part in Hojlund’s equaliser that was described as “a precise right-footed shot”. He was awarded a seven in the outlet’s player ratings.