Allegri guaranteed him a permanent place and the role of vice-captain and the Portuguese has received the message: in these first friendlies it is more continuous, more incisive and no longer has the black outs of the past
Rafa Leao this time smiles less. He swept away Liverpool with a goal, an assist, an illuminating heel blow in the action of 3-1, dozens of accelerations and lots of commitment. The signal is clear: the Allegri cure works both for Milan and for its number ten which, however, yesterday had a heavy heart and a little desire to celebrate both the network and the victory. The match against Liverpool in fact brought him back to his mind the disappearance of his friend and compatriot Diogo Jota, with whom he had won the Nations League on 9 June. The former Reds disappeared, together with his brother André, on July 3 in a road accident and Rafa was very impressed by the tragedy. He said it in the past few days talking to the journalists (“The memory of Dogo will remain with me forever”) and yesterday he reiterated him on the pitch. With a champion goal and an exultation as a great man.
Leo’s exultation for Diogo Jota
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Leao marked the 1-0 after the devil recovered the ball (Bravo Fofana) and Pulisic triggered his race on the left. The Portuguese changed marches, sowed Stephenson (who did not even try to chase him …) entered the area and, before Van Dijk closed it, with a left diagonal he pierced Alisson. The ball slipped at the intersection of the poles and the “Kai Tak Stadium”, exhausted and large majority … Reds, paid him an applause. Rafa did not celebrate the network, but he limited himself to unite his hands as a sign of prayer and with his fingers he showed the 20th, the number of Diogo Jota. Then he embraced his companions, but without the slightest trace of a smile. The same in the second half when he made again … in slices the defense of Liverpool and served to Loftus-Cheek the ball that the ex Chelsea midfielder transformed into 2-1. Rafa melted only after the heel that propitiated Okafor’s 3-1, but no overhauled exultations.
Allegri’s phone call to Leao
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Leao closed 2024-25 with more than 10 goals and 10 assists as it has happened to him for four years now. Despite this, however, he ended up several times on the bench or was replaced because first Fonseca and then Conceiçao did not like his breaks on the pitch. From an immense talent like his, both wanted something more, but it is logical to think that Rafa also expected something different from his compatriots. Allegri so he had the path flattened: as soon as he arrived he asked for confirmation of the number 10 and he phoned him to make him understand how important it would be. He guaranteed him a permanent place and the role of deputy captain (he brought the band against Arsenal and in the second half yesterday, after Maignan’s release) until he gives everything for the group, also and above all in the non -possession phase. And the Portuguese received the message: in these first friendlies it is more continuous, more incisive and no longer has the black outs of the past. The talent has never been questioned, but the ex lilac has not always exploited him fully. This is why he ended up in the sights of criticism. Pioli had been good at bringing the best out of him and not surprisingly in the year of the Scudetto, 2021-22, Leao won the prize for best player in the championship. Livorno coach hopes to do even more.
center forward, the new leading role
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Meanwhile, thanks to the absence of Gimenez and the non -arrival of another first tip, Max is deploying him as the center forward, a role that Leao plays well: he gets back to participate in the defensive phase and then starts at full speed using the verticalizations of the companions. Yesterday he was the best and scored his first 2025-26 network. He said: “I know that to reach who is a step above me I have to improve my numbers”. A first signal gave it. It is strong. Because he found himself in the first half Van Dijk and in the second half Konaté, not any two. The time will come when, in 4-3-3, he will return to the left out, but Allegri hopes that he does not lose the concreteness shown against Liverpool. With a Rafa like this, Milan can dream. Not just fourth place.
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