Challenges ahead for Hirving Lozano

The Mexican has made great strides in his career since moving to European soccer, but Hirving Lozano still has challenges to face. 

And the challenges he faces are not easy: on the one hand, he must make a bigger impact in the World Cup qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while at the same time he must consolidate his position at Napoli, who will have to face Barcelona in the Europa League. 

This second challenge also implies that the player has to consolidate his position as a starter with the Azzurri, with whom he has not been as convincing as he was with PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. 

Hirving Lozano and his duty with Mexico's national team

It is indisputable that in the past, "Chucky" Lozano has been a fundamental factor in Mexico's national soccer team, providing goals, passes, and above all, security in the midfield. 

For example, when Juan Carlos Osorio gave him his debut in the Aztec national team, the player did not waste his opportunity and in that friendly match against Senegal, he proved that he was ready. 

This was demonstrated in the Confederations Cup in Russia, a tournament in which he scored a goal against the host and contributed to the Mexican team's fourth-place finish. 

Later, the winger was very important in the World Cup qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, where he played more than 437 minutes and scored 4 goals to help Mexico take first place in the competition. 

The consecration of the young Mexican would come in that same World Cup against Germany.

Although he did not achieve the primary objective of advancing to the fifth game, Lozano gave his country an unforgettable moment of glory. 

In the 35th minute of that match, Lozano received a pass from Javier Hernandez and did what any world soccer star would do: he latched onto the ball and shook off Mezut Ozil, changed legs, and shot into the goal. 

The goal not only made the stadium scream but an entire country.

With that goal, Mexico gained historic revenge against Germany, which had always beaten them. Today, however, Lozano's genius is just a memory.

In the recent World Cup qualifiers, Lozano has not scored and his performance could not prevent Mexico from losing 2-0 to the United States. 

What's worse: the player was also irrelevant in Canada's 2-1 win over Mexico and, in addition, he will not be able to play in the next game of the qualifying round due to yellow card accumulation.

So Hirving Lozano's great challenge for 2022 with his national team will be to recover the mental stability that allowed him to be a reference for the Aztecs.   

Lozano´s challenge in the Europa League

Lozano's career in Europe has also not progressed in the way the player had hoped. After a great performance in Dutch soccer, the Mexican has yet to establish himself as a starter for Napoli in Serie A.

And although in the Italian first division his performance has improved a little, the player will have to dedicate the rest of the year and the beginning of the next one to prepare himself and his team for their next big commitment in the Europa League. 

This will be in February when he and his team will face Barcelona to advance to the round of 16 of the European competition. 

Although the Catalan team is no longer what it used to be, Napoli cannot afford to underestimate a team that is currently coached by one of the players who helped establish Barca as one of the best teams in history. 

Therefore, in order to be a starter for Napoli and face Barcelona, Lozano needs to score more goals in order to earn a place in the team, and prove that he can more than repay the trust that coach Luciano Spalletti has placed in him. 

Otherwise, it is likely that the player will leave the team in the winter transfer window and end up in a team where he will have to start from scratch.