When AC Milan faced Udinese on Saturday, the Portuguese head coach, Paulo Fonseca chose a very different lineup than what the fans are used to see. Among the surprising choices, there was Rafael Leao being benched, for the entirety of the 90 minutes.
The match was very physical and became stressful especially when Tijjani Reijnders received a red card just 30 minutes into the encounter.
It must be noted, however, that Fonseca's bold lineup choices paid off: He benched Tomori, Abraham, and Leao all at once (along with the suspended Theo Hernandez and unavailable Matteo Gabbia due to injury).
Okafor is a pleasant surprise for Fonseca's Milan
As pointed out by Calciomercato.com, both Chukwueze, who scored the winning goal, and Okafor made the most of the opportunity granted by Fonseca. Especially the Swiss utility forward, who gave the most encouraging responses: he only played the first 45 minutes, sacrificed for Musah after Reijnders' red card, but performed with extraordinary intensity. The goal came from his creative play for Pulisic, he always looked for one-on-ones, and he even contributed significantly in defence. A solid 7 out of 10 performance without a doubt.
Okafor's response:
The ex RB Salzburg player also disproved the theory that he performs better only as a substitute.
Noah has everything it takes to become an important player for Fonseca.
First and foremost, he’s in good physical and mental shape. His ability to play multiple roles will significantly increase his playing time in the team: an option both as an alternative to Leao and as a competitor to Tammy Abraham. He could be the solution to many of Milan's problems.
