Milan secured three very crucial points away at Parma this evening, despite having Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off with more than 30 minutes to go. Rafael Leao sealed the deal with a stoppage-time striker, returning with a bang.
The Portuguese youngster has been out with an injury for quite some time but made his return this evening, coming on with six minutes to go. Thanks to the work of his compatriot, Diogo Dalot, he managed to get on the scoresheet.
In an interview with Sky Italia, as cited by MilanNews, Leao spoke about the importance of the win and his goal. He was inevitably also asked about his thoughts on the red card of Ibrahimovic, which put the Rossoneri in difficulty.
On the importance of this victory…
“There are still 8 games to go. This victory is important for us to move forward with confidence for the next games.”
On the importance of his goal and performance…
“That’s football. The team did a great job and deserved the victory.”
On the gesture after the goal…
“For my family, who always helps me in difficult moments. This goal is for them.”
On the performance against Sampdoria…
“Against Sampdoria, it was a game where we didn’t know what went wrong. Today we knew we had to enter with the right mind. We entered with the right mentality and I’m happy with the three points.”
On the red card of Ibrahimovic…
“These things happen. My teammates fought until the end and this is the most important thing.”
Milan will take on Genoa at San Siro next week and as Ibrahimovic will miss out on the clash, it’s very possible that we could see Leao up front. Ante Rebic can also play in that role, but then the Portuguese would most likely be on the left flank.
READ MORE: Pioli reveals what Ibrahimovic told him about red card in analysis of ‘important’ win over Parma
