When Rafael Leao swept AC Milan into the lead against Atalanta last night it looked like being a potential breakout for him, but it ended up being a strange evening.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes this morning, Leao is back to surfing but he could not prevent Milan from finding themselves in troubled waters. The winger’s goal lit up the night of the Coppa Italia clash, before darkness fell.
Leao was not enough for Milan and one goal cannot be enough for Leao so as not to share the responsibility for the defeat. He illuminated the San Siro with the opening goal but faded away just as soon as his left-side runs were almost always stopped by Holm or Scalvini.
After yet another difficult night he returned to the mood that has characterised him in the last period (with the exception of a few smiles against Sassuolo and Empoli): nervous and polemical.
He remonstrated with the referee Di Bello, by whom he was booked for protests, and with his team-mates. The Portuguese often stood with his arms wide open after the mistakes of others, as if to say he was disinterested.
Leao’s attempts at crosses or passes into the area were often imprecise, and his participation in the game was always partial. If this is his jewel, it is difficult for Milan to shine again.
Yet the evening had opened with other indications. Less than a minute before the break, Pioli had found his left lane again: Theo Hernandez and Leao had carried out a break at full speed which ended with the assist from Theo and a lovely finish from the former Lille man.
In less than two minutes Atalanta beat Mike Maignan for the equaliser. The mood was contrasting: Leao followed his right-foot shot inside the far post with a run and then spread out the surfboard on the San Siro pitch and rode the waves with the Curva Sud.
Rafa then pointed his index finger towards the fans, as a sign of special dedication, and it was reciprocated with the chant bearing his name. Technique, speed, chemistry – the left wing combination seemed to have started working again.
It seemed like the perfect evening to establish a new union. Instead, Rafa and Theo disconnected again, and Milan found themselves in a tailspin. Thus Leao and the team end up once again in the sights of the fans after the disappointment of the cup.
At the end of the game Leao was also under the Curva with his team-mates. If before he had pointed the finger towards the Sud as a gesture of affection, now it is the fans who point the finger towards the team.
