AC Milan players celebrate scoring their second goal during their Group E Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, on September 14, 2022. REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
MILAN: AC Milan will likely be even more eager to extend Rafael Leão's contract after the Portugal forward again starred in a Rossoneri win.
Leão earned a penalty - converted by Olivier Giroud - and set up Milan’s second for Alexis Saelemaekers to help his team beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Tommaso Pobega all but sealed the result 13 minutes from time.
The 23-year-old Leão was one of the stars of Milan’s title-winning team last season. He has also scored three goals in six Serie A matches this season and will be sorely missed when Milan hosts Napoli as he is suspended for this weekend’s match.
Milan is already in talks to extend Leão’s contract, which expires in 2024. Chelsea, which is also in Milan’s Champions League group, is one of the clubs interested in him.
It was Milan’s first win in the competition this season after it opened with a 1-1 draw at Salzburg. Dinamo beat Chelsea in their opener.
Milan dominated on Wednesday at San Siro but lacked accuracy up front and it took it until the stroke of halftime to break the deadlock after Leão had been brought down by Dinamo defender Josip Šutalo.
Giroud drilled the penalty into the bottom right corner.
And Milan doubled its tally immediately after the break when Leão shimmied his way into the area and crossed for Saelemaekers to head in from close range.
Dinamo pulled one back in the 56th minute, also through a lovely bit of skill, when Bruno Petković released Mislav Oršić with a cheeky back-heeled pass and the Croatia forward slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
Leão also had a hand in Milan’s third. He picked out Pobega and the Italy midfielder played a one-two with Theo Hernández before firing in off the underside of the crossbar for his first Champions League goal.
