Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella heaps praise on his Italy teammate Davide Frattesi, believing they can play side-by-side.
The former Sassuolo man completed his transfer to the Nerazzurri in the summer.
This move sparked a debate over whether he and Barella are compatible or not.
The two box-to-box midfielders have many attributes in common, but the Sardinian believes that strong players can coexist in the same line-up.
“Davide is a great player, he has always done well with this national team,” said Barella in his interview with Sky Sport Italia via FcInterNews.
“When strong players play together, they can do well. We don’t know what the coach’s choices will be, but whoever plays will be ready for this match.”
The former Cagliari man was referring to the decisive Euro 2024 qualifier between Ukraine and Italy on Monday night.
The Azzurri only need a single point to book their spot in next summer’s tournament.
However, Barella insists that the Italians will be up against a tough opponent. He urges his teammates to aim for a win rather than settle for a draw.
“They are a strong team, but we are aware of our abilities. We want to defend the European Championship which we deservedly won, but first we have to move on from this difficult match. This is football, but we’re ready.”
“It’s easier to enter the field aiming for victory. For us, it would be better to score immediately and manage the result.”
The Inter superstar believes the Azzurri can overcome their opponents by replicating the same approach from the reverse fixture.
“Ukraine have great individual skills. They are fast and have good technique, but we showed at San Siro that if we control possession they struggle. So we must try to do this again.”
