After his sensational performance in AC Milan’s win over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina, Rafael Leao returned to his very best and will hope to maintain that level moving forward.
The 23-year-old took his game to new heights last season as things seemingly clicked into place, with the Portuguese winger contributing 14 goals and 12 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.
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Leao was a fundamental figure in our Scudetto success, and he has the attributes and characteristics to be pivotal in our bid for future success, both at home and in Europe.
While he’s already bagged three goals and two assists in five Serie A appearances this season, it had been a slightly inconsistent start to the campaign as question marks were raised over the impact of speculation over his future during the summer.
While he was decisive in our win over Bologna, he wasn’t able to contribute in the final third against Udinese, Atalanta and Sassuolo, and particularly in the last of those three outings, he floated in and out of the game and didn’t perform at the level we know he can produce, and must, for us to be successful.
However, he produced the perfect response in the win over Inter with a brace and assist, and it’s hoped that that’s now the catalyst both for him and Milan to click into gear and find our best form over a longer period of time with the Champions League also starting this week.
Over-reliance concern, but an in-form Leao fundamental to Milan
Admittedly, there is concern regarding the over-reliance on Leao to produce, as our best attacking play often comes down the left flank between him and Theo Hernandez, while others naturally get involved from midfield along with Olivier Giroud in the box.
Stefano Pioli insists that he’s happy with his options on the right wing despite the limited attacking threat that they pose, as they do provide a vital balance to our side in terms of the defensive phase of the game when we allow Hernandez and Leao to make powerful runs and burst forward.
Nevertheless, Leao has emerged as our main attacking threat having overcome an indifferent start to life at Milan where questions needed to be answered over whether or not he would fulfil his potential and perform consistently.
As we saw against Inter, his pace, directness, technical skill and finishing have all developed and allowed him to become one of the top attacking players in Europe, and so it’s unsurprising that he has attracted interest from elsewhere.
However, he is rapidly becoming an irreplaceable piece of Pioli’s team, if not already, as without his quality in the final third our attack would certainly be less effective and dangerous whether it’s against teams who defend deep and look to frustrate us or are vulnerable to the counter attack.
The hope is that by adding Charles De Ketelaere to the side, we’ll develop a much-needed balance with his creativity and technical ability, and so when combined with Leao’s pace and movement, that pair will hopefully strike up an effective partnership along with the other attacking pieces we have.
It’s important for Leao now though to stay at the level and standard that he’s set for himself. We know what he can produce and he makes it look effortless at times, but he has to have that same drive and hunger inside of him to take Milan forward and ensure we compete across the board at the highest level and that will only lead to good things for himself and the club.