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Real Madrid 1-3 AC Milan Reaction: Rafa Leao DESTROYS Champions (Clip From Q & A Pod)
1.5k Plays4 days ago
After an impressive performance by Rafael Leao and AC Milan in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese debate, analyze and discuss what the future holds for Leao and Paulo Fonseca.
The Italian Football Podcast patron Anthony sends in a question wondering what Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese think of the Portuguese duo's working relationship.
This is an extended clip from this weeks Q & A episode of The Italian Football Podcast available only to patrons on Patreon.com/TIFP
To send in your questions as well as listen to this & all other full episodes of The Italian Football Podcast (with no ads), go to Patreon.com/TIFP OR Spotify to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
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Transcript
Rafael Liao's Impact on Real Madrid Clash
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Right. The next question comes from and Andrea soillia ah Somalia, sorry. After Rafael Liao's brilliant performance against Real Madrid, can this ignite his seasonal relationship with Paolo Fonseca? What do you think?
Milan's Victory and Fonseca's Job Security
00:00:20
Speaker
Well, first of all, um we're recording this on Wednesday, so after the the day after the Real Madrid ah win. I mean, first of all, we have to say what fantastic win for Milan to go to the Bernabeu and win 3-1. I mean, that's a really historic result for Milan and the the form they've been in this season, and Fonseca's job very much kind of, you know, but precarious, let's say, position that he was in.
Analyzing Liao's Performance
00:00:47
Speaker
And Rafael Liao, of course, is the story. I mean, he he put in a devastating performance. I thought it wasn't a perfect performance. I mean, he he had a few instances in the second half where you know he he kind of was a bit sloppy with the final shot or the final pass.
00:01:04
Speaker
But overall, I think he was he was devastating. milla Madrid was so scared of him. Vasquez, the the poor guy, I mean, he e he tore into shreds on on on a number of occasions. That third goal, and especially v Vasquez and Militao to set up the Reinders to make it 3-1.
00:01:26
Speaker
to finish the game but he you know he he would have scored if it wasn't for a brilliant save from looning with the header it was his shot that led to the the morata the the morata goal to to make it 2-1 to put milan back back ahead and yeah he showed I predicted it. I said it on Monday. I said you watch. Liao will start and Liao will put in a great performance. I was so i was so confident in it because I've seen enough of Madrid to know,
Liao's Adaptability in Different Leagues
00:01:54
Speaker
to know about it, ah know what they like. Madrid are not a team. You know, we've said about Milan not being a team this season. Madrid are not a team. How do you possibly create a workable team? I said it at the beginning of the season. How do you create a workable team with Mbappe and Vinicius and then throw in Jude Bellingham as well, throw those into the team who none of them can defend?
00:02:14
Speaker
and None of them work off the ball and you know it's this is modern football and it's a sad thing about modern football that you know you can't have individuals like this in your team and certainly not two of them and then they both like to play in the same position in bapin and venicea's junior so i think that kind of set things up.
00:02:34
Speaker
really well for Milan. um It meant that the game was open and it made the sense spent meant for Raphael the game was open and when the game is open for Raphael he is absolutely devastating. When the game is closed and when the teams are very tactically well drilled and they close the space and and you know double up on him and he has to use more his his brain and his tactical smarts and he needs to adapt a little bit to the team and that's where you know he struggled and that's why he's been out of the the team for free for free games but when the game is open like it was in this game i mean he's as good as anybody um so it was fantastic for him um can this ignite his season
00:03:23
Speaker
It's a difficult one because every game is different, isn't it,
Preview: Milan vs. Cagliari
00:03:26
Speaker
Nemo? I mean, you know, the games, who they got on the weekend, is it Callery? Callery, they're not going to be open like this. They're not going to come out and play. They're going to they're going to sit deep and they're going to be tight and they're not going to leave the spaces. And, you know, the teams in Serie A are much more tactically drilled. And this is what Liao has struggled with more, isn't it, under Fonseca? So I'd like to say this can ignite this season, but I don't know if it will change things.
00:03:54
Speaker
a Exactly. I think that we called it on the Monday Pod, didn't we? That wouldn't surprise us given how Real Madrid play, that someone like Liao would enjoy himself as much as he did. And he had lots of fun and he was brilliant. um But it's the consistency and it's being able to play in a system. Rafael Liao, so far the question to that is whether or not if he can play in a system is he can't. We've seen that he can't.
00:04:18
Speaker
um And he doesn't want to. I think he can, but I don't think he wants to. That seems to be the issue. So, you know, um I think that I look at Liao and at this point I'm thinking, you know, can he mend it with Fonseca?
Fonseca's Integration Strategy for Liao
00:04:33
Speaker
I don't so think it's so much as mending it with Fonseca, it's Fonseca.
00:04:37
Speaker
trying his absolute utmost to make Lao, to bring some joy to Lao's game and get him to integrate him into the system. But he's not going to compromise, and he shouldn't compromise, on what's good for the team. You know, he shouldn't be begging players to give their all for the team, to work hard in both phases in modern football. That's just how it is. I think Fronseca is doing the everything right here. I don't think we can criticize him for anything when it comes to Raphael he's done everything he's done everything to not create a castle he's done everything to make him happy he's done everything to make the team happy to make the teamwork i don't think you can ask for anything more from Fonseca like you really can't it's up to Raphael now to show that he wants to
00:05:24
Speaker
and that he wants to stay at Milan and that he wants to work in this team. ah really i don't understand It's unfair on Fonseca, I feel he gets so much unfair shit. like There's a lot we can criticise him for which is fair, but I feel that Fonseca gets so much shit which he doesn't deserve and I don't like that.
00:05:44
Speaker
Well, I think that it's definitely going to give Liao confidence. It's definitely going to bring him back some happiness. And we saw him smiling as well after that third goal. we have When was the last time we saw Liao smile? So hopefully that that brings it up. and And that's the reason why I think i think he has to start against Callery. He has to. Callery are not the kind of team that I think you need to be super, super switched on.
00:06:09
Speaker
so tactically they're not going to like offer that much are they it's an offensive force um so i think listen you have to play leo in that because if you don't if you drop him then it can cause a chasm because it's like well what the hell am i supposed to do i've just put in a fantastic performance against against realm would you be in the european champions i've destroyed them um and and then you drop me for the calorie game the next game I mean, you know, what what what am I supposed to do? So I think he's got to start him against Callery. He has to. He has to start him. And then, well, yeah, then we then we then we take it from there. um but But yeah, i I mean, I think I said on Monday as well, like yeah I said, even if he does have a fantastic game against Madrid, which I which I think he will do.
00:06:53
Speaker
i i I still don't think that's going to change the the overall issue that Fonseca has with Liao and that is he wants him to see him be ah more of a team player and contribute to the team and Liao needs to show that. I hope he starts against Callery and I hope that he can he can start to show more of that ah against you know going forward but otherwise that he could be dropped again.
00:07:17
Speaker
But for Milan, I think it's brilliant. I think it can hopefully reignite their season. It would give them a lot of confidence getting a big scalp
Real Madrid's Challenges and Cohesion Issues
00:07:25
Speaker
like that. But at the same time, they need to keep their feet on the ground and not get too carried away because I think this was this was as much as Milan being good as it is that Madrid are just a complete mess right now. They're not a team.
00:07:39
Speaker
They are not a team. They have no kind of, they're they're not compact team. that they're they're they They have no real system right now. ah and And I think that helped Milan. It helped Milan a lot in this game. And, and you know, that the the game before Madrid got hammered 4-0 at home by Barcelona in the classical. So is is this is this is ah this is a problem. It's also a worry for Ancelotti as well, because his job could be on the line if they if they continue this these these bad results.
Ancelotti's Uncertain Future at Real Madrid
00:08:12
Speaker
Yeah, i think it's almost i think it's almost the forone I think it's almost a foregone conclusion um that Ancelotti is getting sacked, to be honest with you.
00:08:27
Speaker
Like, I think it's just it's just he's not staying past this season. I just don't see that happening. Like, what they need is given the players that are coming in and all that stuff, like, I just don't see it working. He's been there for quite a few years. He's won so much with them. And I think it's becoming time. Time has reached for them to find the new Galactico coach because they're going full on Galactico now, you know, with Mbappe and this, that and the other.
00:08:54
Speaker
um They need to find someone. I'm wondering if Zidane could be the solution, to be honest, one last time. What he wants to do. Maybe next season before the World Cup. Zidane does what Zidane wants. Take over Real Madrid for a season, then resign and take over France. I think Xavier Alonso is waiting for that job. Yeah, that's a good shot. That's a very good shot. That's a good shot. Yeah, I agree.