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Can Leo become AC Milan s true ace?

6:11pm, 31 October 2025【Football】

This season, with Allegri returning to coach AC Milan, the team has high hopes for the outbreak of core striker Rafael Leao. After Allegri took office, he focused on the 3-5-2 formation, and Leo was entrusted with important tasks and was regarded as a key figure on the offensive end.

However, Leo's performance is still ups and downs. Although he has scored 3 goals since returning from injury, in the ninth round of Serie A against Atlanta on October 28, he was almost invisible for the entire game and was replaced early in only 45 minutes of the first half. During the entire playing time, he touched the ball only 13 times and almost did not create any threatening offense.

After the game, Allegri explained that Leo was replaced because he felt discomfort in his hip joint. But whatever the reason, Milan's overall performance in that game was hardly ideal. Italian media "Sky Sports" reported that club legend Costacurta was blunt about this.

Costacurta said: "Milan performed much better when Leo was not on the court. In fact, in the first three games that Leo started this season, Milan conceded a total of 4 goals; but when he was replaced, the team did not concede any more goals. His presence sometimes caused the team to change from an 11-man team to a 10-man team or even less. "

At present, Milan's forward options are limited, and new players Santiago Jimenez and Christopher Nkunku have not yet found their best form. Because of this, Leo's performance is particularly important. But the question is, can he maintain stable and efficient output throughout the season and truly carry the team's offensive banner? This is still a big test before Allegri and the player himself.