When Rafael Leão twisted and turned through half the Sassuolo defence in a 1-0 win last season, Milan fans’ faith in him was rekindled.
He’s a fearless player, but his bravery comes from a place of peace. He’s not scared because he knows the next opportunity will come soon enough.
Speed
Quick bursts of speed are essential for attackers to beat defenders in one-on-one situations and get into goal scoring positions. Rafael Leão is a dynamic forward with both of these attributes that have helped him become one of AC Milan’s top performers since his arrival in 2019 for a hefty fee.
His pace allows him to dribble past opposition defenders with ease and exploit space in behind the defense (last season Leão averaged 5.5 successful dribbles per game) while his off-the-ball running is carried out with purpose and intent. Rafael Leao top speed is 35.40 km/h.
He can quickly turn a simple passing sequence into an attacking move with his short and long passing, through passes and pinpoint crosses. Leão’s versatility coupled with his high skill moves and skill stun ratings make him a potent attacker. However, his lack of stamina limits his full-game effectiveness.
Acceleration
A dynamic forward with bursts of speed, Leão excels when attacking in wide areas and offers a lot of versatility to the team. His dribbling ability and high skill moves rating allow him to create good goal scoring opportunities but his lack of stamina may limit his full-game effectiveness.
He can beat defenders on the wing and his breakneck speed allows him to beat offside traps with late runs. He also makes excellent use of his speed, completing many successful dribbles as well as progressive carries.
Rafael Leão is one of the most feared attackers in the game, particularly when operating on the left side. He can terrorize defenders with his surging bursts of speed from out to in and is a nightmare for any Serie A fullback to play against. The mercurial Portuguese has proved to be the catalyst of AC Milan’s uprise this season and is an important player for their rejuvenation. His pace and acceleration are vital in their pursuit for the Scudetto and Champions League success.
Distance
Rafael Leão is a top-notch dribbler, capable of beating defenders through quick footwork, stepovers and body feints. His attacking flair is a huge asset, as evidenced by his excellent shot-on-target percentage and npxG/Sh.
He can also create good goal scoring opportunities for his teammates as shown by his excellent GCA/90 and xA/90. However, he still needs to improve his passing skills.
He likes to cut inside from the left flank, whether by outrunning his full-back or exploiting the space between the right back and centre-back before curling a ball into the corner in a Thierry Henry-esque fashion.
Power
Leão’s impressive speed is the backbone of his game, but he also has a high skill moves rating, meaning he can pick pockets of space with skillful changes of direction and sudden bursts of acceleration. This, coupled with his high shot accuracy and power, makes him a dangerous striker.
Often found on the left, he glides past opponents with Usain Bolt-like nonchalance, using long strides to quickly pass his markers and reach open spaces. Away from the half-line, he has an uncanny ability to find pockets of space in the penalty area, often combining dribbles with pinpoint passes or goal-scoring efforts.
Though not a great passer (his Assists/90 and GCA/90 stats could be higher), he can still create good goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates as seen in his xA/90 and SCA/90 stats. However, his passing does need to be improved as it can sometimes become sloppy and lose pace in tight situations. This is a small flaw in an otherwise brilliant player.