Sergio Conceicao’s decision to play Joao Felix over Rafael Leao from minute one against Napoli continues to draw scrutiny from the Italian media.
La Gazzetta dello Sport begin a report with some stats. Milan’s shots on target: 0 in the first half, four in the second. Total shots: five in the first half, 11 in the second. Expected goals: 0.49 in the first half, 2.17 in the second.
Something must have changed halfway through, and indeed it did: Conceiçao sent Leao onto the pitch and the game changed completely. There is a moral to this story: in the current Milan, it makes no sense for Rafa Leao to be left out, especially if the starter is Joao Felix.
The author of the piece, Luca Bianchin, calls it ‘the least understandable choice of the year’. It is no coincidence that Conceiçao sent the No.10 to warm up after 20 minutes: he had already changed his mind.
Conceiçao was asked about it last night: “In the afternoon they told me that Leao was feeling a bit of discomfort in his thigh, but we had already prepared the match without him. I’m not saying that he didn’t play because of what the doctor told me.”
