Milan forward Rafael Leao said he always dreamed of hearing the Champions League anthem and stressed the match against FC Porto on Tuesday ‘is a Final’ for the Rossoneri.
The Portugal international spoke at a press conference ahead of the match against FC Porto on Tuesday, when Milan are aiming to pick up their first win in Group B of the Champions League this term.
The Rossoneri are bottom after two games, with Porto one point above them at third, behind Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.
Leao arrived at Milan from LOSC Lille in August 2019 and has helped the Rossoneri back to the Champions League, where he has scored once in the first two games.
“I think what I was missing was continuity,” he said at a press conference. “Today, I’m playing more regularly thanks to my teammates and my coach.”
The former Sporting CP forward was asked if the match against Porto was like a derby for him.
“Playing against Porto is always difficult,” he said. “They are difficult to play against but for me and my teammates it will be Final. We want to win and score points to move forward.
“It’s a Final and it will be from the first minutes. We want to play with the right mind because Porto are a good team. They have quality and the coach knows Italian football.”
Leao said the Diavolo are a strong group and aim to advance from Group B, despite the slow start.
“Yes, we want to go far. We are a young team, but we have the right mentality,” he said. “There are experienced players here and tomorrow we can show what we know.”
Milan are unbeaten in eight Serie A games and Leao hopes to bring the great domestic form to the Champions League.
“Serie A is a difficult league,” Leao continued. “When I arrived, I felt the big difference from Ligue 1.
“I wanted to play in the Champions League since I was little, hearing the anthem. I want to take advantage of this opportunity and win tomorrow.
“I want to show everyone what I can do in every match. The important thing is to win, not to score or assists. The important thing is to score points and try to advance in the Champions League.”
Milan need to win both games against Porto and hope Liverpool does the same to Atleti
Group of death really , just looking for some wins . Build momentum . Need to get our first team back on the pitch .
@Micah, what we need exactly is for Liverpool to take at least 4 points from their two games against Atletico and for us to win both games against Porto. Then “all we have to do” is beat Atletico at the Wanda in game 5. If we do that we’ll have qualified with the game against Liverpool being a party. Very difficult, but not impossible.
10 point is still very much possible for milan in this group. Milan will beat Liverpool in return leg.Porto fixtures is most difficult, if porto manage to score first, milan will chase the game and eventually loss the game. This porto team is beatable. wait for your chance, don’t be too aggressive( could lead to numerical disadvantage), avoid misplace passes at the back. Which you best. Fonza milan