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A32 sports
Diahuebs 15 september 2022

Leão stars as Milan beats Dinamo 3-1 in Champions League

MILAN (AP) — 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 ex-
pires 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 accu-
racy 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 Saele-
maekers 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 slot-
ted 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 Hernán-
dez before firing in off the underside of the crossbar for his
first Champions League goal.