The Portuguese forward hasn’t scored in Serie A since last September, and since then, he has only found the net in cup competitions. Additionally, it seems like he has “forgotten” to provide assists for Giroud.
In a Milan side that is showing increasingly convincing signs of resurgence with 7 wins and a draw in the last 9 games – there remains a discordant note that needs addressing to return to being the driving force they were in recent seasons.
This concerns Rafael Leao, who, amid highs and lows, hasn’t scored in Serie A for over 4 months. His last goal came against Verona in the 1-0 win on September 23. While it’s true that Milan has recently been more involved in possession compared to the direct plays Leao benefited from before, the Portuguese forward is stuck with 3 goals (he also scored in previous matches against Roma and Inter), his second-worst record after 21 rounds since arriving in Italy. He had recorded only a more negative statistic in his debut season, where he was at 2 goals at this point (finishing at 6). In the 2020/21 season, he had scored 5 goals after the first 21 games, and similarly in the following year, while in the previous season, he already boasted 8 goals (ending the season with 15).
Leao has forgotten Giroud
Despite this goal drought, Leao isn’t haunted by the lack of goals. In these 124 days, he has still found the net in cup competitions (one in the Champions League against PSG and two in the Coppa Italia against Cagliari and Atalanta). As an attacking winger, he is also aware of the importance of contributing to the team with assists. However, this year, the connection that had been one of his strengths has been missing: no decisive and winning passes for Giroud, an anomaly compared to the 5 assists two seasons ago and the 4 from last year. From this perspective as well, the Portuguese player needs to rediscover his form.
