Serie A Spotlight: Leao Unplayable, Conspiracy Theory & Allegri Misery

As the 2023/24 Serie A season draws to a close, the stakes get higher while the margins for error become increasingly razor-thin. An incomplete Matchday 36 has produced plenty of memorable moments, stunning goals, and epic heartbreaks.

It’s time to examine the most noteworthy takeaways.

Milan Must Keep Hold of Leao at All Costs

It takes no rocket science to understand Rafael Leao’s importance to Milan. After all, he’s probably the most dominant winger in recent Serie A history. But the Portuguese’s stellar showings have not gone unnoticed. Paris Saint-Germain, before all others, have spotted his value.

With Kylian Mbappe set to join Real Madrid, the record-time Ligue 1 champions could go all-out to sign Leao. However, Milan must find a way to resist the temptation and turn down lucrative approaches, no matter how eye-watering they could be. And they will be, for sure!

Saturday was the latest example of Leao’s individual brilliance. The 24-year-old came off the bench at halftime and tore Cagliari into pieces, inspiring Milan to a thumping 5-1 win at a muted San Siro. Amid fans’ restless protests against the hierarchy, Leao’s departure is the last thing Rossoneri need. 

He single-handedly turned an apathetic attack into a monstrous chopping block that ripped Cagliari piece by piece in the second half. Selling him would be nothing short of a suicide. That’s not to mention what kind of message it would send to other Serie A rivals that couldn’t wait to see Milan on their knees again. 

Serie A Champions Inter Play for Sassuolo?

How do you feel about conspiracy theories? If you’re a fan, you’d love this one. Inter and Sassuolo have had a strange relationship since the latter’s promotion to Serie A over a decade ago. Like all other top Italian clubs, the newly-crowned champions know what a factory of talents Neroverdi are.

And they’ve not been shy to bring some of them to Giuseppe Meazza in recent years. Only last summer, Davide Frattesi swapped the Mapei Stadium for Nerazzuri on favorable terms, even though a host of Europe’s top clubs were on his trail. It brings us to our point.

In what world could a team destined for relegation be the only one to beat one of the most dominant Scudetto winners in recent history? Sassuolo’s Serie A status hangs by a thread, yet they’ve defeated Inter in both league meetings this season and remain the only side to put Simone Inzaghi’s team into the loss column.

A week after the league’s most prolific attack produced just one shot on target against the second-worst defensive side in a 1-0 loss, Inter thrashed Sassuolo’s direct relegation rivals Frosinone 5-0, handing Neroverdi a lifeline in a dramatic battle for Serie A survival.

It makes one wonder.

It’s ‘Bye Bye’ Time in Turin

If Juventus needed another reason to consider Massimiliano Allegri’s dismissal, Salernitana gave them one on Sunday. One of the worst sides in recent Serie A history held Bianconeri to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Stadium, extending their dreadful run to three wins in their last 17 outings.

To put things in perspective, Salernitana had collected just 15 points from 35 Serie A matches before Sunday. On top of that, they’re the division’s most fragile defense, with 76 goals conceded, including Adrien Rabiot’s last-gasp equalizer.

Juventus were 1-0 down heading into the final quarter of the game, yet Allegri found it appropriate to sub off his top-scorer Dusan Vlahovic. And it wasn’t the first time he made the same senseless move. A result? His men have drawn five consecutive league fixtures!

Another result? Juventus are the only side alongside Lazio in the Serie A top-nine to have yet to hit a 50-goal landmark this season! What else should Allegri do to make the record-time champions sack him?