GdS: Leao and Nkunku could cause headache for Juve as Allegri eyes subs

Massimiliano Allegri has made it clear that substitutions make a huge difference, and in Juventus-Milan, they could definitely play a big part in the proceedings. 

In the first five league games this season, Allegri has received quite a lot of praise for his in-game changes. Against Napoli, for example, two of the liveliest players (Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers) were sacrificed after the red card but it worked out well.

Furthermore, in other games, the substitutions have allowed the reserves to get some playing time while giving Milan energy to push on for the full 90 minutes. Tomorrow, against Juventus, Milan will need 90 minutes of hard work again.

As highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport this morning (see photo below), with very good depth on the bench, the substitutions could play a key role for the outcome this time out.

Leao and Nkunku the bench weapons

Obviously, the name on everyone’s lips is Rafael Leao. The winger returned to the pitch after 42 days against Napoli, but it wasn’t a brilliant display by any means. In fact, Allegri’s reactions in the dugout suggested that he wasn’t pleased at all.

Leao himself, during a live stream on Twitch, acknowledged that he could have done more. It was always going to take a little bit of time to get back into things after the injury, so some lenience can be given here. Furthermore, the pre-season showed just what he’s capable of with Allegri.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Now, it will be interesting to see if the additional week of training at Milanello has helped Leao. Allegri is hoping that the No.10 can do a lot better off the bench this time out, perhaps by breaking the deadlock (depending on how the game pans out).

Leao will also be up against a poor personal record: he has never scored or assisted at Juventus Stadium. As the pink newspaper continues, perhaps the former Lille man could get some help from his new teammate, Christopher Nkunku.

Indeed, it’s difficult to predict who will come off the bench first, but it seems pretty likely that they will end up as a duo in attack at some point during the game. It would be a new and explosive duo that certainly could hurt a tired Juventus backline.

With freshness and quality substitutions, the game can certainly be won in the final 30 minutes. Exactly as Allegri has pointed out not just to the media, but also to his players (thus motivating those who are on the bench a bit more).