“We totally deserved this victory” – Fonseca pleased as Leão shines in Milan victory over Real Madrid at Bernabeu | OneFootball

Real Madrid 1-3 AC Milan

It was a memorable night for Italian giants AC Milan on Tuesday, as Paulo Fonseca’s side secured a thoroughly-deserved victory over European champions Real Madrid in the Spanish capital.

Rafael Leão was in fine form for the Rossoneri, playing a part in two of the goals at the Bernabeu as Milan made it back-to-back victories in the Champions League.

Malick Thiaw’s header put Milan ahead (12’) but Real Madrid levelled midway through the first half through Vinícius Júnior’s penalty. However, goals from ex Real Madrid man Álvaro Morata (39’) and Tijani Reijnders (73’) saw Milan earn what many felt was a worthwhile victory, with Leão at the heart of both goals.

For Morata’s goal which put Milan 2-1 up, it was Leão’s swift turn and shot from inside the box which forced Andrij Lunin into a sharp save, which was seized upon by the Spain captain to convert from close range. Reijnders’ goal which put the game to bed was rooted in some vintage Leão wide play, with the former Sporting man breezing past his marker Lucas Vázquez and providing the cutback for the Dutchman to score.

Speaking after the match, Fonseca stated that the match showed that sometimes playing in Europe’s premier competition can be easier for his side than weekly matches in Serie A. Fonseca’s team are in 7th in the Italian top flight after a 1-0 win over Monza at the weekend.

“I think we won because the players had the courage to come here and play their game, without being afraid of anything,” Fonseca told Sky Sports Italia.

“We wanted to keep the ball, we did great things in the first half and then struggled a little more after the break, but we did it together and totally deserved this victory. It’s not just because we scored three goals, but also we played with a lot of quality.

“I do not agree when people say Italian football is defensive. We can be a team with more initiative and dominance of the match in Europe, these are the characteristics of the team. We proved that Italian teams don’t just defend, we played the ball and had great positioning. The side has the patience to keep the ball, picking the right moment to attack.

“We must continue to improve, as we have a lot of potential.

“Honestly, I have to look at the overall context. For the way I like to play my football, these are games with more space to play in. People outside of Italy do not understand how tough it is in Serie A. Monza man-mark, Cagliari up next will man-mark, you will see that Atalanta were the only team who managed to beat Bayer Leverkusen last season and they man-mark.

“It is honestly more difficult to play in Serie A than it is in the Champions League because of these tactical issues. It is easier for us to play tonight, even if it was against Real Madrid the best team in the world, because it is completely different. This might be why in Italy the games are not as entertaining, but it’s because they are really difficult.”

Milan are now up to 18th in the Champions League standings, having recovered from two defeats at the starts of the campaign to record back-to-back victories over Club Brugge and Real Madrid.