It may have been the desire to split the world after a World Cup experienced from the second line - despite excellent performances - it will be that in January he always starts off on the right foot (third consecutive goal in the first of the new year), but Rafael Leao in Salerno seemed like a player who has grown further and still with lots of room for growth. One more reason to dream of a comeback against Napoli, one more reason to dream of a renewal.
Careful
As Corriere dello Sport points out this morning, Arechi's match against Salernitana gave Pioli back a Leao in extra-luxury format with the Portuguese who picked up where he left off: with a goal after a few minutes. In addition to scoring, the Rossoneri's 17 also showed on the pitch all his ballistic and technical skills which made him and still make him the strongest and most decisive player in the Rossoneri squad. But what, if possible, caught the eye even more, was his commitment from a tactical point of view. Never before had Leao been seen as tactically disciplined as in Salerno and Pioli did not miss an opportunity to point it out, highlighting how the Portuguese match against Salernitana was Rafa's best since the coach has been at the helm of Milan. Not a little, considering how decisive Leao was last season. But it is clear that the difference, for Pioli, was made precisely by the Portuguese's attitude on the pitch, always on the spot and in the match, as he has been asked for some time.
Double goal
Now Leao is hungry. The experience in Qatar with Portugal in which he was marginalized in the hierarchy of the team playing less than 90 minutes in 5 games but still scoring 2 goals, probably made Rafael realize how important he is for Milan and how much he can still improve to be considered among the absolute top in the world. The hunger seen in Salerno now Pioli wants to see it again on Sunday evening when Milan return to play at San Siro against Roma, a tense and difficult match against a coach who could also be the next coach in Leao's Portugal. In all of this there is also the renewal match that is being played out and which seems to be taking an absolutely positive turn: after the encouraging words of Pioli and Tonali, optimism has grown in Casa Milan with the club that would be willing to break through the much coveted wall of 7 million. A new meeting with Ted Divmula, the French lawyer who takes care of the player's interests, is scheduled for next week.