A few hours before the Milan derby, Schevchenko previewed this marquee match of the 28th round of Serie A, which could very well be decisive in the scudetto race, and highlighted one player in particular: Rafael Leão. The Portuguese international is the star of his former team, Milan, and has been playing this season in the center of the attack rather than on the wing. "Rafa is showing that he has matured a lot; he is trying to give his best in a role different from his usual one, and he is doing it to satisfy a request from the coach. He is committing to something new and doing it for the team, because that is what is asked of him. Moreover, he scores goals," began the former Ukrainian forward in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, explaining what the Portuguese offers differently from a traditional striker. "Capello is right; I read his interviews: Leão is not a center forward, but he knows how to perform his duties well, attacks the space, and makes himself available. In this, Allegri has found the balance: if you rely on quick counterattacks, Rafa's sprint is crucial. Then, you can't ask him to maintain possession of the ball or to be a number 9 like Ibrahimovic: the characteristics are different," he explained. Confronted with the words of the former Sporting player before the derby, in which he mentioned that no one should go out at night this week to prepare for this decisive match, the 2004 Ballon d'Or winner approved. "Of course, I liked it. A different Rafa in this regard is yet another sign of his maturity. He is on the right path," he stated, speaking about the match itself. "Taking the allure out of the derby is absolutely impossible, and the 10-point difference in the standings means little; on the contrary: if Milan wins, the championship is back on. The derby can change destiny, especially at this time of the season: from now until the end, the matches will be unpredictable for everyone," he remarked, naming the Nerazzurri as the favorites. "As a squad, yes, they are the strongest right now in Italy. And I like the way they are coached by Chivu: he has always been an intelligent player, with great qualities and pure class, an exceptional left foot. He was a creative player and is proving to be good on the bench as well. He has managed to maintain the lead in the standings, always giving new energy to the group. It is clear that the team respects him and has a good way of playing," he concluded.
Milan The Portuguese remains central to this story.
Milan The Portuguese remains central to this story.
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