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Before talking about roles and positions, Rafael Leao must work hard to regain a certain starting spot at AC Milan, as per a report.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report, Leao is the new striker in the 3-5-2 system in theory, someone to partner Christian Pulisic in the penalty area. That’s how he scored in the Coppa Italia game against Bari, before his injury.
In principle, the recovered Leao could have been a resource to be used off the bench against Napoli and Juventus. His pace, though not yet fully exploited, was believed to be crucial against more tired defences.
In practice, the plan hasn’t worked. The game situation (down to 10 men) didn’t help Leao as a substitute against Napoli, but then Rafa squandered the two chances he had against the Bianconeri.
Difficult decisions for Allegri
Leao has almost always been a starter in his 6+ years at Milan. In 2021-22 he came off the bench only four times, making a good impact: two goals and an assist. Simple resource management: that remains the Portuguese’s best season in terms of performances, and he was the Scudetto MVP.
In the following season, Stefano Pioli chose to leave him out of the return leg of the derby. Leao – a second-half substitute – only picked up a yellow. In 2022-23 and 2023-24 combined, he came on 14 times in total, scoring three goals and an assist.
Last season was a different story, with Rafa starting on the bench 12 times, not so much to allow him to recover from a physical problem, but rather because of tactical choice. Despite the presence of compatriots Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceiçao on the bench, Rafa didn’t seem to heed their instructions.
It was the most turbulent season, in which Leao was expected to be the driving force, but instead he ended up being dragged through a decidedly mediocre campaign, finishing only eighth in the table. It is under Allegri that the club hoped, and still hopes, that Rafa could turn a corner.
The injury obviously compromised the early season plans, but it was the last two games as a substitute that rekindled the alarm. The forward was indolent and soft, lacking the grit or competitive spirit in front of the opponent’s goal, and Allegri chose to raise his voice.
What next?
The excuse of not being in the best condition after a month and a half out of the squad is still valid, but Leao will now have to clear himself of any accusations. He must regain top form and truly start making an impact.
When he starts – and he’s done so in 196 games at Milan – Rafa has scored or provided an assist every 156 minutes. It is not a low number, yet still too low for a player of his quality. In total, he’s found the back of the net 56 times, and provided an assist 44 times.
These numbers need to improve, but Max is confident he can work on them. It’s a different story when Leao is called upon to contribute from the bench: he’s done so on 67 occasions, with 15 goals and eight assists. It is a modest contribution considering his potential to be a game-breaker.
Therefore, Rafael Leao shouldn’t be considered a solution to be exploited in the heat of the moment, despite Allegri’s frequent remark: “The team that finishes a match is almost more important than the team that starts it.”
It’s also hard to imagine Leao, 26, as a man who will be satisfied with just getting the final half-hour. Yet, to return to the starting line-up, he’ll now have to overcome competition from Santiago Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku, who are both gaining in rhythm and confidence.
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