Rasmus Hojlund Brutally Savaged By Italian Press After ‘Unforgivable’ Napoli Display

Rasmus Hojlund found himself in the firing line after Napoli’s 1-0 defeat by Udinese on Sunday.

Rasmus Hojlund’s ‘Dull’ Display

The former Manchester United striker had brought his eight-game scoring drought to an end last time out in Serie A, having scored twice in the 2-1 win against Juventus, but was quickly brought back down to earth.

A blank against Benfica in the Champions League was followed by another questionable performance in Udine, while the latest setback moved Antonio Conte’s side into third – two points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli have been dogged by inconsistency this season, and Hojlund’s form has similarly fluctuated.

While the visitors struggled to create clear-cut chances for him, the frontman did squander a golden opportunity in the dying stages of the game. Unsurprisingly, the Italian media did not hold back in delivering a brutal assessment.

Il Mattino gave Hojlund a lowly 4.5 out of 10 rating, and described his efforts as “dull”.

They wrote: “Braces like the one against Juve are fine. In fact, they’re more than fine. But Rasmus’ performance in Udine is similar to the one in Lisbon against Benfica. Dull, in black and white.

“The late error weighs like a millstone.”

Corriere dello Sport also handed him a 4.5, pointing to his glaring miss as a decisive factor in the result.

Tuttosport, meanwhile, said Hojlund “paid in physicality”, suggesting Udinese’s defenders outmuscled him.

However, the most scathing review came from La Gazzetta dello Sport, who wrote: “A tough match against [Christian] Kabasele, but he doesn’t emerge victorious.

“He loses 14 balls and, when he’s alone in front of goal, sends a shot over from two steps away. Unforgivable.”

Rasmus Hojlund Performance In Numbers

Clearly, it was another day to forget for the Denmark international.

He completed the full 90 minutes and took 35 touches, but spent much of his time on the fringes. That was evident through the fact that he took just two shots, while his glaring miss late on was designated a ‘big chance’.

Damningly, Hojlund also lost possession 14 times and won only four of his 16 attempted duels (25 per cent).

Conte will undoubtedly demand more from the ace as Napoli look to find some sorely-needed consistency.

However, his status remains secure with his move to become permanent should the Partenopei qualify for the Champions League. In total, he has scored six goals for the club in his 17 appearances across all competitions.