Icardi set for 200th league appearance after a bumpy ride
Having passed one landmark on Tuesday by scoring his first goal for Argentina, Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi is set to reach another today by making his 200th appearance in Serie A.
It has been something of a bumpy ride for the 25-year-old, with an exposed private life and a falling-out with the fans along the way, but he is now recognised as one of the Italian league’s most deadly strikers.
Third in Serie A, Inter host Frosinone when they hope to get their campaign back on the rails following a shock 4-1 defeat by Atalanta in their last outing.
Inter’s leading scorer for the past four seasons, Icardi has played under three different owners and seven coaches since joining them from Sampdoria in 2013.
An out-and-out centre forward, he is deadly in the penalty area although his contribution in other areas of the pitch is sometimes questioned. Despite twice finished as Serie A’s joint scorer with Inter, there is often a feeling that he is still not quite playing to his full potential. “Mauro has very precise characteristics,” said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti recently. “When it comes to finishing, he has no weaknesses, he’s perfect. In the penalty area, he is an animal. However, there are times when perhaps he needs to come back more to help get us out of difficult situations.” “A few seconds of talent are enough to be a top footballer, but to be a champion it takes 95 minutes of personality,” added Spalletti.