Leao shines for Milan as Italian media praise Udinese display | OneFootball

Rafael Leao returned to top form against Udinese, inspiring Milan to a 4-0 away win at the BluEnergy Stadium by scoring the opener and providing an assist.

The Portugal international had gone three Serie A matches without a goal contribution, but he reminded everyone of his quality with a scintillating performance that earned widespread praise from the Italian media, who named him Milan’s standout player on the night.

UDINE, ITALY – APRIL 11: Rafael Leao of AC Milan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between Udinese and AC Milan at Stadio Friuli on April 11, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Leao opened the scoring with a stunning first-time strike that soared past Maduka Okoye into the top corner, before assisting Milan’s fourth goal with a delicate chip over the Udinese goalkeeper to set up Tijjani Reijnders.

Leao back to his best as Milan cruise past Udinese: Italian media ratings

More than that, he looked perfectly at ease in Sergio Conceiçao’s newly implemented 3-4-3 system, constantly troubling the opposition and proving dangerous whenever he had the chance to take on defenders, as La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted, awarding him a rating of 8/10.

Tuttosport defined his seventh Serie A goal as an ‘absolute gem’ and gave him a 7.5/10 rating, highlighting how his presence was also pivotal in the build-up to Theo Hernandez’s third goal of the evening.

UDINE, ITALY – APRIL 11: Rafael Leao of AC Milan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between Udinese and AC Milan at Stadio Friuli on April 11, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Il Corriere dello Sport also awarded him a similarly high rating, emphasising the quality of his ‘perfect’ assist for Reijnders.

Leao now has seven Serie A goals to his name this season—all of them scored away from home—along with nine assists in 30 appearances.