Rafael Leao has been one of Portugal’s more impressive performers over the international break, and he has stated that he feels full of confidence ahead of returning to club acton with AC Milan.
The winger drew a lot of praise from the Portuguese media for his performance against Poland a few days ago, one in which he started on the left wing and created the goal that Cristiano Ronaldo scored with a run and shot that hit the post and fell to the Al Nassr man.
Then, last night in the 0-0 draw with Scotland he started the game on the bench but he came on for the last 30 minutes to try and break open a resilient Tartan Army defence, and while he was among the most dynamic players they were made to accept a draw.
There is no doubting that this is a big season for Leao on a personal level given that everyone at Milan wants and expects him to kick on and become a consistent high-level player, so hitting good form for Portugal should certainly be a confidence boost.
Leao spoke to A Bola after the game against Scotland last night to reflect on what was a positive substitute appearance from him, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
“I knew it wouldn’t be a predictable match as many expected, because we knew it would be a complicated match against Scotland. They were playing at home, we knew it would be a completely different match to the one against Poland, they are a combative team. We had the same intensity, only we weren’t effective in front of goal.”
Rafael Leão vs Scotland@RafaeLeao7
30 Minute Cameo + All Actions pic.twitter.com/x1K25LfOkz
— Best of Rafael Leão (@BestofLeao) October 16, 2024
What did coach Martinez ask of you when you came on?
“The coach asked me to get in deep and one-on-one and do the best I can. Basically, play my game to create opportunities. They were a very compact team, we had little space and the coach wanted me to make deep movements with and without the ball.”
How do you feel about being in the national team?
“At the highest level. When I’m here [in Portugal] I feel everyone’s support. The coach also has a lot of faith in me and this is fundamental for my game.”
