“Tottenham Player’s Vulnerability Exposed Again on International Duty”
“Tottenham Star’s Flaw Highlighted Once More in International Clash”
Guglielmo Vicario’s persistent weakness was exposed once again during Italy’s 3-1 defeat to France in the Nations League on Sunday.
Set-Piece Struggles Continue for Vicario
The Tottenham goalkeeper’s difficulty in dealing with set pieces and corners has become a well-known vulnerability in the Premier League, with opponents frequently crowding him to exploit this flaw. Despite vowing in the summer to address the issue (as reported by One Football), Vicario has yet to show significant improvement.
On Sunday, his struggles were highlighted once more at the San Siro, as Les Bleus capitalized on this weakness to secure a convincing victory over the Azzurri.
International Troubles for Vicario
Vicario faced similar criticism last month after failing to handle a corner in Italy’s 4-1 win over Israel. Despite this, he retained his starting spot over Gianluigi Donnarumma for the match against France.
The issue reared its head early in the game when France took the lead in just the second minute. Adrien Rabiot connected with Lucas Digne’s out-swinging corner from within the six-yard box, leaving Vicario unable to intervene.
France extended their lead to 2-0 with an unfortunate own-goal by Vicario when Digne’s free-kick hit the crossbar and ricocheted off the keeper into the net.
Although Andrea Cambiaso brought Italy back into the match with a goal in the 35th minute, another header from Rabiot in the second half sealed France’s victory. This time, Vicario had no chance to make a save.
Was Vicario at Fault for the First Goal?
Given Vicario’s well-documented struggles with set pieces, questions will inevitably be raised about his positioning on Rabiot’s early header. However, Digne’s corner was flat and out-swinging, making it challenging for the goalkeeper to claim.
In this instance, staying on his line was arguably the safer choice, as attempting to punch the ball could have resulted in further mistakes. Nonetheless, the ongoing scrutiny highlights the need for Vicario to address this aspect of his game.
