"Leao, a Real Night"
This was published by Il Corriere della Sera in this morning's print edition.
The AC Milan team has an important task tonight, keeping in mind that they don’t really have much to lose in the end: qualification for the playoffs, the most realistic goal, will depend on the remaining four matches against Slovan Bratislava, Red Star, Girona, and Dinamo Zagreb.
At the same time, a positive result tonight would deliver a high-voltage shock to reignite a team and an environment that flickers on and off due to too many blackouts.
Milan must be daring with Rafael Leao on the pitch
To attempt an assault on Real, the Portuguese coach plans to finally bring Leao off the bench, giving him a starting spot after three consecutive league games as a substitute. We’ll see if the star-studded atmosphere will motivate the forward and perhaps put an end to this standoff that serves no one and is harming a team already in trouble.
Leao's involvement also makes sense for marketing purposes
In fact, if Rafa doesn’t play, his value decreases. It’s better, then, to put him in the spotlight while waiting to decide what's best for everyone, either in January or, more likely, next summer.
