In this 2024–25 season, he has never scored at San Siro in the league, but away from home Rafa Leao knows how to be decisive.
The message he sent last night at the Ferraris to Bologna, in view of the Coppa Italia final, is one of those strong and clear: the Rossoneri number 10, who will miss Friday’s match against the Rossoblù due to suspension but will be there on Wednesday the 14th in Rome, scored his eighth goal in Serie A—all away from the Meazza. Incredible, but true.
The fact remains that the Portuguese is fully in the race to equal or surpass the nine goals he scored in the league last season and, even if he won't reach fifteen like in 2022–23, he is considered the decisive element to help the Devil bring home the second trophy of the season and the consequent qualification for the next Europa League.
"In every match I try to help my team," Leao explained, "whether I start or come off the bench. We are all focused and our goal is to do the best possible in these last games, including the Coppa Italia final that we want to win. But first there’s the match against Bologna in the league."
Leao and the seventy mark
Arriving at Milan in 2019, the boy from Almada has reached seventy goals with the Rossoneri shirt: thirty of them scored away. This year, his overall tally is twelve goals and just as many assists. It's inevitable that the fans now expect an equally decisive performance from him in the Coppa Italia final.
"These last matches are important and we have to get as many points as possible. The coach has changed the formation and now we are more compact (two goals conceded in the last five matches with the 3-4-3). Everyone is working for the good of the team, and tonight those who came on made the difference."
He in particular, with an assist wasted by Pulisic, the goal to make it 1-1, the cross that led to Frendrup’s own goal, and a low shot that forced Leali into a save.
Even this time, Leao was not consistent and Conceição pushed him quite a bit from the sidelines. Especially in a first half where, having come on in place of the injured Fofana, the former Lille man wasn’t able to spark right away, as pointed out by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Was it because of the heavy pitch? Maybe... Or maybe he just needed the halftime break and some extra motivation to make the difference, as has happened many times this year. Especially away from San Siro...
