AC Milan needed leaders on the field during their Champions League last 16 second leg against Spurs last night, and Theo Hernandez responded to the call.
Today’s edition of Tuttosport (via PianetaMilan) recall that the turning point of the game was Cristian Romero’s red card as it effectively ended Spurs’ attempts to get the goal they needed to reopen the tie, and it came for a foul on Theo Hernandez.
It is no coincidence that the former Atalanta centre-back’s first yellow card was for a rash tackle on Leao, who was uncatchable every time he turned on the jets, and Theo did well to exploit the tightrope that he was walking on after.
Theo seemed to suffer most from the World Cup on a physical but also a psychological level. However, the Frenchman returned to his best on the big occasion and was a real leader for the team, with the armband being far more than symbolic.
It was he who called the team into the centre of the field before kick-off and spoke in the circle which was nothing to dismiss given the adrenaline-charged atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He’s simply our best player nowadays.
Theo is indeed our best player nowdays¨ He has grown and matured a lot since his moving to Milan. I think Maldini is the positive influence on him.