What stays in the eyes are those two clear chances that might have kept Milan top if Rafa Leao had taken at least one of them from a few steps away from Juventus’ goal. But on the Portuguese forward’s Sunday night at the Allianz Stadium, other details push toward one single question: can Leao really play as a center forward? In front of the cameras, Massimiliano Allegri gave reassuring answers:
"For Rafa this is not a new position... And the run he makes on Modric’s ball is wonderful. Then of course, Leao must score there, he must be decisive for the team."
True. Although in the 29 minutes plus added time of the Rossoneri number ten, there are also more worrying indicators. In numbers: only seven touches, zero passes attempted. You read that right, not zero successful passes, but zero attempts to pass the ball. His three total shots, two of them from inside the box, paradoxically become the only “normal” stat for a striker, even positive, aside from the fact that Rafa failed to score.
Allegri’s push to use Leao as a number nine is not a summer experiment but an idea he will carry forward in the coming weeks. In the 3-5-2 that has brought Milan balance and solidity, there is not much room to create another role for Rafa. The ex Juventus coach himself, after the match in Turin, postponed the idea of a trident with Leao, Pulisic, and one between Gimenez or Nkunku.
"Everyone needs to be fit and then certain players, even coming off the bench, can decide matches."
Max had already said this before, on the eve of the Napoli game, when Rafa returned from the right calf injury he suffered against Bari in the Coppa Italia on August 17. It is normal that the Portuguese is not yet at peak condition, less normal are some of his recurring habits in attitude on the pitch. Already in the clash with the Italian champions Allegri had shown irritation and called out Leao more than once, and the same happened against Juventusn as pointed out by the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
In fact, before putting Leao on, Allegri had already warned him:
"Rafa, don’t make me angry,” said with stronger words in reality. A warning that did not help much. During the half-hour Leao spent on the pitch at the Allianz Stadium, Allegri shouted at him at least a couple of times. Even if, to be precise, in the final moments Max was furious mainly at a chest layoff in his own area from the other substitute striker, Nkunku. Because what makes Allegri lose patience is not so much technical mistakes but conceptual errors or signs of carelessness.
This is where Leao must grow, and Allegri pointed it out directly to him after the match with the Bianconeri. If doubts about his use as a number nine, especially in blocked games or against deep defenses, are partly tactical, a more focused Rafa would still have all the physical and technical qualities to take on the role. After all, as Max himself stressed, Leao has already played as a center forward in the past with Lille. Whether he can succeed there in the future will depend above all on him. Allegri believes he can.
