The Cult of Calcio
·27 November 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Cult of Calcio
·27 November 2024
Rafael Leao isn’t pleased with having to come off the bench but didn’t mount a case on it following the tougher-than-expected victory over Slovan Bratislava. He spoke to Sky afterward.
“I think we should have scored more goals and could have been fiercer given all the chances were created. Instead, we left a pair of opportunities on the table, while they exploited theirs and gained confidence as they were at home. Our win was deserved in the end, though.”
Leao commented on being used as a sub and Paulo Fonseca.
“He knows that I don’t like coming off the bench, but I always need to be ready even if I’m not starting. We’re all happy here. He’s doing a good job, but we want to understand his ideas even more. We couldn’t drop points in this one. We have to climb the standings. If we prevail in the next fixtures, we’ll advance. The younger players want to continue playing in the Champions League.”
The winger was quizzed about Milan’s game-to-game inconsistency.
“There are many matches and little time to recover. You always need to prove you want to be successful from the get-go in these competitions.”
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Leao had 15 precise passes but also 11 giveaways on Tuesday. He’s up to 21 successful take-ons after five Champions League tilts, which is a record for a Portuguese player. The winger has generally responded well when not starting, providing his contribution despite the limited minutes. He’s up to four goals and five assists thus far. On the other hand, he has yet to score at San Siro. Milan will host Empoli later this week.