The game between AC Milan and Juventus at San Siro this evening will see two star forwards do battle, namely Rafael Leao and Dusan Vlahovic.
Vlahovic exploded at Fiorentina and earned himself a move to Juve back in January where he struggled a bit at first but has already scored five times for them this season, and memory is still fresh of him netting a brace for La Viola last season as they beat the Rossoneri 4-3.
Leao meanwhile really proved himself to be one of the best players in the league last season as he hauled Milan to the Scudetto, and Serie A actually believed he was the best given that they crowned him the MVP for 2021-22.
This evening at 18:00 CEST Milan will face Juventus at San Siro in what will be a very important game for both teams, with some players wanting to stand out. La Gazzetta dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) interviewed several former players, who expressed their opinion on Leao vs. Vlahovic.
Hernan Crespo: “For the way he plays I say Leao. The Portuguese is a striker who ‘snatches’, dribbles, provides assists and, when he has the opportunity, shoots. His is a multiple function in the Milan economy. Vlahovic, on the other hand, is a class forward, he likes to be refuelled, perhaps with a cross from the wings. Basically he depends on the team’s game. And today he will lack the support of that phenomenon that is Di Maria.”
Hristo Stoichkov: “I expect Vlahovic to be more decisive at San Siro. Dusan has something more than the Portuguese. After the many goals with Fiorentina, the Serbian is repeating himself in Juventus. Playing with Vlahovic? I think he would have liked above all: thanks to my assists he would have scored even more. For my dream team, however, I would not bet either on Vlahovic or on Leao, but only on Romario or Ronaldo the Phenomenon.”
Giuseppe Signori: “I have the impression that Leao can be decisive: because of his form, for the qualities he has, because Milan play at home and will play a more attacking game. And then because Leao will also be decisive in opening up the spaces in Giroud: in my opinion the real decisive man could be the Frenchman. Giroud always manages to score decisive or decisive goals in the matches that count.”
Julio Cruz: “They are both strong, but I am with Leao: he is a boy who always seems to explode with the desire to play, who not only has a sense of goal but also of the game. It is clear that Vlahovic also has numbers and quality, but it seems to me that in the last two years Leao has had an enormous growth. He accelerates, beats his man in a few meters, creates difficulties and knows how to shoot on goal, with a precise foot.”
Antonio Di Natale: “I have a weakness for Leao and I am convinced that in the big match between Juventus and Milan he will be more decisive than Vlahovic. The Serbian has everything to become one of the best strikers in Europe, but the Portuguese is a fantastic mix of technique, speed and strength. I would have liked to have played with the AC Milan striker and I am convinced that as a couple we would have scored a lot.”
Karl-Heinze Rummenigge: “The facts, at least for the moment, reward Vlahovic, who scored more than Leao and also has a higher market value. I’m aiming for Dusan for the super match at San Siro, but I don’t think the Serbian will be enough to Juventus to win. Milan will want to immediately cancel the knockout in the Champions League against Chelsea and the Bianconeri have not yet been convincing away from home in the league.”
Fabrizio Ravanelli: “We must agree on the decisive term. If we talk about who affects the performance of their team the most, the answer is certainly Leao. Without him Milan loses in imagination, unpredictability and danger. We have seen it even when it is passed away against Napoli. Under goal Vlahovic is more lethal and for this reason he can be the one to sign a possible victory for Juve.”
Aldo Serena: “I’ll make it a matter of teammates and I’ll take Leao. Juventus at the moment depends a lot on Di Maria and Vlahovic… it depends on him more than the others. The Argentine’s assists would have been precious. Leao instead is very well, he has improved a lot and finds Theo Hernandez, who on the left is the perfect wingmate. On paper he has everything to be decisive, alone and in pairs.”
