It finished all square in Liguria on Tuesday evening, but Udinese midfielder Walace went close to bagging three points for his side deep into stoppage time as his searing effort ricocheted off the bar. “A draw is a fair result for what was on display tonight and for the performances that both sides put in. As for hitting the crossbar, I want to score goals. It’ll go in next time.”
It would have been the perfect way for him to mark a special milestone. “It’s an honour for me to have played 100 games for this club.”
Rather than discuss their opponents, the Brazilian was keen to keep the focus on his own team. “We mustn’t think about others. We need to concentrate on ourselves. We could do more. We need to rediscover that aggression that we had before.”
Walace is full of confidence that the coach can help them re-find their form. “He’s an intelligent person who knows how to put in the work to solve these issues. The team will get back to playing the way we were, I’m sure.”
With Napoli winning again this evening, attention will already turn to the next match. Udinese face the league leaders in the last league match before the World Cup break. “It will be difficult against Napoli. They are playing at an incredibly high level against everyone, whether in Serie A or the Champions League. Our attitude on the pitch will be crucial.”