10 May 2023 , 22:42
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AC Milan talisman Rafael Leao's reaction told quite the story as the talented wide-forward was left with his hand in his hands while watching his team capitulate.
The Rossoneri took on arch enemies Inter Milan in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final showdown, but things quickly fell apart for Milan when goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan inside the opening 12 minutes swung all the momentum Inter's way. Leao could barely watch and was spotted covering his face in horror on the sidelines.
The young winger was forced to miss Wednesday night's clash after picking up a muscle injury during the weekend win over Lazio and his absence seriously hindered Milan's hopes of a memorable win in the first-leg.
Though it ended 2-0 to Inter, Milan can consider themselves fortunate that the game ended with a respectable scoreline and the tie still alive as a competition. Inter spurned a number of glorious chances that if converted would have put them out of sight.
The result and the manner in which the game was lost will come as a shock to a Milan side that seemed overawed by the occasion. Stefano Pioli's side conceded more goals in this game alone than their previous six semi-final first-legs combined, where they shipped just one.
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They now have it all to do in next week's second-leg but are expected to do so with Leao back in the side time time around.
HAVE YOUR SAY!Will Milan overturn Inter's advantage with Leao back in the side next week? Comment below
Rafael Leao could barely watch as AC Milan were cut open by Inter (BT Sport)Milan have also been boosted by significant progress made in the effort to tie Leao down in the long-term. Sporting director Paulo Maldini issued a very positive update on the Portugal international's future ahead of kick-off.
"Let’s say that we’re close, this is the will of the club and of course the will of the player," the Italian told Prime Video.
"Beyond the technical things, there were many components that came from the past."
The comments make for incredibly welcome reading from the perspective of the Milan faithful who are desperate to see Leao light up the San Siro for many years to come.
Such is the talent of the 23-year-old, a number of Premier League giants were keen on prying Leao away from the Italian capital. Manchester United and Chelsea are just two of the sides that were keeping tabs on his contractual situation.
For now though, Leao's full focus will be on aiming to turn the tide on this tie and pull off a miraculous Milan comeback.