As an Argentine forward, there are surely more sensible career moves than going to play for Napoli. With a crowd who still worship a certain Señor Maradona to this day, you wouldn’t think anyone would be prepared to risk the (inevitably unflattering) comparisons – would you?
But Ezequiel Lavezzi, one of the stars of San Lorenzo’s Clausura championship-winning campaign, has done precisely that, and somehow, in a packed Stadio San Paolo, he’s managed to win over the fans, in only his second competitive match for the club.
In the return leg of the second round of the Coppa Italia, against Serie B side Pisa, Napoli – newly promoted back to Serie A – ran out 3-1 winners in extra time and it was Lavezzi who starred, hitting the first hat-trick of his career after coming off the bench with the visitors 1-0 up.
Five minutes into the second half, Lavezzi smashed in his first with a tremendous right-footed half-volley. That proved enough to take the tie to extra time, and in the second half of the added half-hour, Lavezzi pounced twice, first hitting a fine diagonal shot across the area for his second, then completing his hat-trick after a quick one-two with a team-mate. In two matches, Lavezzi now has as many hat-tricks as Maradona managed during his entire time in Naples. If he gets one-tenth of the adulation come the end of his stay, he’ll be a very highly honoured man.
Goals: Napoli 3 – 1 Pisa (Coppa Italia second round second leg, Stadio San Paolo, Naples)
Filed under: Argentine football, Argentine national team, Argentines abroad, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Football, Football clubs, Goal videos, Players, Results, San Lorenzo, Selección, Transfers
