At the Olimpico, the coach calmed the situation, but the question remains: why don’t the two Milan forwards work well together?
If you’re looking for two friends who spent a peaceful Sunday evening together, don’t look to Rafa Leao and Christian Pulisic. During Lazio-Milan, Leao gestured wildly in frustration at Pulisic’s decisions, as the latter failed to pass him the ball in two potentially dangerous plays. What wasn’t shown on TV was what happened next inside the Olimpico. In the locker room, Leao complained to Pulisic again—let’s call it a more heated-than-usual request for clarification between teammates. Max Allegri stepped in to keep the situation under control and prevent tensions from rising between his two forwards. Classic locker-room dynamics—not a sensational incident, but proof that something isn’t right in that attack.
In the second half of Lazio vs. Milan, Leao made two runs deep behind Marusic. In both instances, there was a moment when Pulisic, in possession of the ball, could have played a through ball to him. Two difficult but not impossible passes. Two passes that would have opened the path to the goal for Leao. In both instances, Rafa made it clear with gestures that he wasn’t happy, as if to say, “I was open, pass it to me.” Ah, in the first half he’d made the same gesture toward Pavlovic, who was guilty of shooting instead of seeing him alone in the center of the box. That play would have been called offside, but the point remains: Leao is frustrated. To each his own interpretation. On one hand, Rafa can be criticized for his public complaints, which certainly don’t help team harmony. On the other, it’s normal for a striker to want the ball in the box, especially after catching the defender off guard twice.


THE NUMBERS—  Allegri, who played the diplomat in the locker room on Sunday night, now finds himself having to manage the situation for the next two months. Off the field, Max has handled far worse situations. Leao and Pulisic have positive personalities: CP is very calm, never abrasive; Rafa is more open, a good guy, always ready to help the young players and newcomers. The delicate issue, if anything, is on the field. Pulisic and Leao have started together only a few times in the league: in the first-leg derby, at home against Genoa and Lecce, and then in the last four matches against Parma, Cremonese, Inter, and Lazio. In those matches, the duo managed just two goals: Pulisic in the first-leg derby and Leao against Genoa. When Rafa scored against Cremonese, CP11 had already been substituted.
Pulisic-Leao, what now?—  Their chemistry, setting aside the Rome incident, is a bit cold. When asked about it, Allegri replied: “When you lose games, in hindsight you find a lot of things. I think Pulisic is getting into better shape, while Leao had 2-3 chances where he would have found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.” Pulisic certainly works harder for the team and moves more without the ball, while Leao is a No. 9 who, defensively—let’s say—doesn’t go out of his way. That also plays a role. The talent of the pair, however, is evident, and logic dictates that, for both of them, it would be wise to find a way to help each other, until the World Cup separates them.