Rafael Leao helped guide AC Milan to an impressive 4-0 win against Udinese last night, scoring and assisting in what was a great performance for him. Finally, the Rossoneri got to see their No.10 at his best again.
The newspapers labelled him the MOTM this morning, just as we did in our player ratings, and it’s hard to argue against that. We didn’t see the usual mistakes from the Portuguese winger and as highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo below), it’s now up to him to continue like this.
The switch to a three-man defence certainly helped Milan, not just defensively but also in attack, with Theo Hernandez and Leao given even more freedom: “We are more compact in defence, but at the same time freer in attack”, the winger said after the game.
Indeed, the left-handed side responded to recent (justified) criticism in tremendous fashion, with Hernandez also bagging a wonderful goal. Beyond the tactical aspect, as Leao also pointed out, the change in attitude also made a massive difference for the Rossoneri.
“We showed that we entered with a clear focus on all aspects. Playing away from home against these teams is difficult, so everything makes a difference,” he added.
Leao is now on 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions (44 games). In practice, he thus scores or assists every two games, which isn’t a terrible stat. On the other hand, the feeling remains that Leao – with all of his potential – more or less always should perform like he did yesterday.
