Stefano Pioli has lamented Rafael Leao’s ‘weird’ lack of form after the Milan striker endured another disappointing exit on Monday in a 1-1 Serie A draw with Salernitana.
The Rossoneri failed to capitalize on the misses of top four rivals Inter, Roma and Lazio as Boulaye Dia canceled a first-half header from Olivier Giroud after the break.
In an extravagant display that saw Milan record 24 shots but only make two saves from Salernitana’s Guillermo Ochoa, Leao made five of the best shots in the game, but none of them hit the target.
Having reportedly sparked interest from a host of European giants including Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid after helping Milan win the Scudetto last season, Leão has struggled in recent weeks.
The Portuguese striker has gone 10 games without a goal since scoring a goal in Lecce in January, leading Pioli to lament his inability to repeat promising results in training.
“Being there for my players is my priority when things go well or bad,” Pioli said when asked if Leao would benefit from more criticism.
“The strange situation with Leao is this – in training he works very well, moves a lot and does everything very well, then less in the game. He must find a happy medium.”
