AC Milan had Rafael Leao to thank for their first win of 2026, and they hope that he can be decisive again tonight as Genoa visit San Siro.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) begin a report by recalling Massimiliano Allegri’s quote from yesterday’s pre-match press conference: “He has to think about scoring goals.” The coach wants him closer to the net, less flashy, but more concrete.
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He continued: “In the end, the strikers have to score. Then comes everything else.” Judging by certain numbers, he’s not entirely wrong. Leao no longer starts on the left: his successful dribbles has dropped from 3.9 to 0.5 per game. Instead, he wants to decide matches in dangerous areas.
Rafa gets the ball less as a centre-forward, but shoots almost twice as often from inside the penalty area and three times as often from inside the six-yard box. The result? In 11 games he has scored six goals, and two of those were sub appearances.
Not only that, but Leao’s average of one goal every 122 minutes is his best since he’s played in Serie A, suggesting that he is more clinical in every sense of the word.
The ideal pairing?
Tonight, Leao will be reunited with Christian Pulisic. “They’ll both start, unless something happens between now and the match,” Allegri said. “What can they bring to Milan? I don’t know, they’ve played so little together that it’ll be a discovery for me too (laughs).”
In fact, Leao and Pulisic have only started once together in the league, against Inter on November 23rd. With Christopher Nkunku still battling an ankle issue and with Niclas Füllkrug not yet ready for a starting spot, the choice is practically obligatory.
Even then, it’s no secret that the Pulisic-Leao duo has been Max’s favoured pairing since the first summer friendlies. Tonight, finally, the San Siro will be able to enjoy the ‘wonder couple’.
Leao will lead Milan’s attack in a match that kicks off the Rossoneri’s run of four games in 11 days. This is the final showdown for Milan, who will then be able to capitalise on the advantage of not playing in European competition, playing once a week, unlike all their rivals at the top.
Against Genoa, Allegri’s men also have the chance to create a small gap between Milan and the rest of Serie A, following Napoli’s unexpected draw at home to Verona and Inter’s victory in Parma yesterday.
A little over a year ago, Milan celebrated their 125th anniversary against Genoa, failing to break the deadlock in a 0-0 draw and squandering big opportunities. Fortunately, since Allegri’s arrival, Rafa and his team-mates’ efficiency in front of goal has significantly improved.
Milan have scored 12 times with their first shot on target this season, but behind this statistic is above all a change in mentality among the attackers, starting with the Portuguese. Out of 34 shots, he found the target 23 times, with far greater accuracy than in the past.
Even before the new tactical solution, as a striker in a two-man attack, it was Allegri’s work on Leao’s mind that made the difference. From his brace against Fiorentina to his winning goal against Cagliari, Rafa became more decisive than beautiful, fully reflecting his coach’s philosophy.
If there’s a player in the Rossoneri squad who needed such attention, it was undoubtedly the former Lille man. He only scored at home against Genoa in the Scudetto-winning year. Will he repeat that feat tonight, and if so what could it lead to?
I wonder if Leao is also content with this successful 0.5 dribbles per match statistic, given he idolises the likes of Neymar and Ronaldinho. Sure he is more prolific, but he enjoys himself most when he’s dribbling, and not when he’s battling of centre backs with his back towards the opponent goal. I think if a big club arrives in the summer and gives him the opportunity to be a winger once more, he might be gone. What do you guys think?
Well if media reports are to believed then Leao prioritizes AC Milan and besides of that both parts seems inclined to be working on a renewal so I doubt that he will leave.
That would actually be beautiful. Almost a CR7-like transition from a skilful left-winger to a prolific goal scorer. Hope he stays for many years.
We can at least always hope.
I’m sure Leao appreciates less criticism about his performances when he scores. As a CF he is allowed to walk around if he scores and he’ll have more chances to score. Everybody wins.
Who cares about successful dribbles when they don’t end in goal celebrations?
“Oh yippie, I got past a defender just to pass the ball to the opponent. How fkng amazing was that?!” vs “All I did was walk on the pitch for 90minutes but got one chance and scored the winner”. Which do you think the players prefer? Or the fans? Or the management? Or the people chosing the MVPs? 🤷♂️
Actually, I’ve noticed that he’s not walking over the last few appearances. He’s actually jogging/ kind of running back to the midfield to get involved in the defense. He’s also pressing more during the other team’s build up. No one is going to mistake him for Beckenbauer, but it’s certainly an improvement over his past efforts.
I agree. He has been more involved in the defensive phase than before. Thanks to Allegri. And when he is playing as a CF he’s not hurting the team as much as a winger when/if he is walking. If only he got rid of the injury issues and he’d score closer to 20 goals this season.
You make a great point about Allegri. Leao’s buy in may be Allegri’s greatest accomplishment this season!