Rafael Leao has revealed that his substitute appearance against Napoli on Sunday left him a bit short of breath.
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Leao was probably not meant to play as long as he did having spent over a month out, but he came on to help close out an eventual 2-1 victory over the Italian champions. The scene of the Portuguese leading a 1v7 counter-attack has gone viral online, and it certainly took energy out of him.
Speaking on a Twitch stream – in which he also praised the Milan fans for their support – Leao spoke about the demands of that cameo off the bench.
“I came back after a month and this match against Napoli was tough: in terms of my breathing, with ten men… This ball came from a counter-attack, I tried to do something but I didn’t realise there were so many players.
“I saw Gutierrez and the other one near him. I had no idea it was seven against one. I already took a screenshot in my gallery. I have to keep training, in terms of my breathing: don’t worry.”
🗣🇵🇹 | Rafael Leão on the 1v7 situation against Napoli:
“I saw the defender Gutiérrez and another one next to him, but I had no idea it was 7 against 1. I even took a screenshot, it’s in my gallery.” 😭pic.twitter.com/GOvCROKzmH
— Milan Xtra (@MilanXtra) September 30, 2025