As West Ham United know only too well – that FA Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of Leeds still fresh in the memory – knockout ties are often decided by the finest of margins.
Quite literally, in the case of Bologna’s 3-1 Europa League last-eight defeat at home to Aston Villa on Thursday evening.
Rossoblu frontman Santiago Castro kept those Hammers links at arm’s length when quizzed, in the build up, about reports suggesting he could be on his way to the Premier League for a fee of £35 million, per Tuttosport.
Santiago Castro has been called ‘Carlos Tevez 2.0’! 🇦🇷
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But as Unai Emery took one big stride towards winning the Europa League for a record fifth time, Bologna and the West Ham United-linked Castro were left ruing those fine margins.
Santiago Castro denied by VAR as West Ham United-linked striker fails to inspire Bologna
Bologna thought they had taken a deserved first-half, first-leg lead when Castro ran in behind and fired a cross in off the unfortunate Ezri Konsa. After a lengthy delay, however, it was ruled that the young Argentinian had strayed narrowly offside in the build up.
Bologna then hit the woodwork twice, forced Emi Martinez into a number of saves, while giving themselves a mountain to climb by conceding three calamitous goals at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
“[Castro] deserves more for his commitment and all the energy he puts in, but he’s a striker and should be judged above all on his effectiveness,” Tuttomercatoweb wrote at full-time on a night which rather summed up the striker’s season.
“The goal disallowed for offside is partly his fault. In a situation like that, where he sees the entire defence, he should have moved better.”
West Ham already have one Argentine striker whose penchant for drifting offside, while missing presentable opportunities, threatens to make Taty Castellanos a divisive figure among the fanbase.
Castro appears a more natural finisher than Castellanos. But, as Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has pointed out with increasing regularity, he is barely even in the same postcode as the ‘finished article’.
“He’s been getting in front of goal lately, but he’s lacking the consistency and hunger that characterises him,” said Italiano, who was the coach of Fiorentina when Jarrod Bowen fired home that Lucas Paqueta assist in Prague.
“There are moments that are part of a season, there’s also a bit of bad luck, but he’s working well and giving everything for the team. He always finishes matches exhausted.”
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Castro has been likened to Argentine icon Carlos Tevez
Against Villa, there were shades of the infectious enthusiasm which earned comparisons with a young Carlos Tevez.
Tevez famously went 16 games without scoring for West Ham in his iconic 2006/07 season. But, even in his most profligate days, his fearsome pressing and relentless work ethic made him a popular presence among the supporters.
Unfortunately for Castro, and a Bologna side now staring down the barrel of a quarter-final exit, a striker tipped to follow in Tevez’s West Ham footsteps is yet to unlock the ruthless streak which made his fellow Argentine one of the greats of his generation.
In 95 matches, his tally stands at just 22 goals. Hardly befitting of a £35 million summer investment.
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