Player Analysis: Rafael Leão. The Catalyst to the Rossoneri uprise.

Written by Ayub Cabdi

“Rafael Leão,” Saelemaekers replied on Eleven Sports Belgium. “I have said this to him many times that, if he wants, he can win the Ballon d’Or.”

The Spark of Milan’s rejuvenation.

What makes this mercurial talent so special? From winning their first Scudetto for the first time in over a decade (2021/22) to making a semi final appearance in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2004/05, this season. A constant and prominent figure of this club’s rejuvenation has been the emergence of the 23 year-old Portuguese. By accumulating 26 G/A on top of being awarded Serie A’s best player, it’s safe to say that Leão’s quickly established himself to be one of the best wingers in world football.

A Left-Winger that has everything required to obliterate his competitors: A captivating talent who possesses a seemingly innate ability to drift past defenders with ease, his threat in transitional scenarios combined with the ability to dominate in central areas, it would be considered an understatement to claim that Leão seemingly has the world at his feet. His World Cup in Qatar 2022 wasn’t as impactful as many would have hoped but his indispensable quality remained present to witness.

Player/Performance Analysis.

Operating primarily on the left hand side of Stefano Pioli’s 4–2–3–1 system, Leão gives Milan a creative spark in wide areas where he can terrorise defenders — particularly in one vs one situations. Leão direct style of attacking where he looks to aggressively accelerate past the defender makes him a nightmare for any Serie A fullback to face. However, he is equally as effective at coming off the flank and attacking inside, as he is right-footed. The positions he takes up and the areas he attacks both in out of possession are comparable to that of an inside forward.

Though Leão’s attacking threat is usually through the entire left-hand side of the pitch, He also possesses the ability to dominate the opposition in central areas acting as a valve realise for his teammates to exploit further space, similar traits also possessed by Harry Kane. In this instance, the fact that he is able to transition from the left hand side to a central position effectively further demonstrates his invaluable worth to the Rossoneri

Here against Tottenham in the UCL RO16 SL this season he is deployed as a CF, his performance isn’t as glamorous as you’d expect it to be but it’s effective in ensuring that space is created for his teammates to exploit within the opposition territory, this element of versatility within Leão’s game makes him superior to the average winger purely because he is not only able to impact the game solely through wide areas but he is also able to do so centrally.

Rafael Leão being so commonly known for his dribbling ability evidently justifies the claim that he is one of the most feared attackers on the planet.

With 98 dribbles completed, Only Allan-Saint-Maximin, Kylian Mbappé and Adama Traore have completed more dribbles successfully out of the Big Five Leagues in the 2021/22 season. Dribbling is an integral aspect of Playmaking/Creativity. An aspect in which Leão flourishes in, making him a formidable opponent for any defender to encounter.

Leão’s production of G/A increasing season upon season looks as though it will continue in the same trajectory. Last season, he averaged a goal contribution every 138 minutes and now he is doing so every 117 minutes. Considering Milan are currently underperforming in the league compared to their title winning 2021/22 season, it’s undisputedly impressive that Leão’s still been able to improve his output considerably, despite his team’s struggles.

In-game scenarios

Rafael Leão possesses the unique ability to dictate the game-state single-handedly at times. From going on astonishing dribbling runs that results in a simple tap-in for his teammates to doing it all alone himself, it’s undeniably the case that he is one of the few players in the world with the capabilities of changing a game all by himself.

From my point of view, only a few players currently possess the same ability to create magical moments out of thin air such as: Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and a few other players.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Pioli’s Milan and Leão at times, but it’s unquestionable that he still manages to produce moments of captivation in particularly in crucial games. The upcoming Milan derby semi final in the Champions League could be another game in which Leão continues to showcase his talent to the footballing world.

A host of Europe’s top clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid have all been linked with a move for Leão in the past and it is safe to say they will be watching his current contract situation very carefully.