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Leão Brace Lifts Milan Over Fiorentina to Reclaim Serie A Leadership

Rafael Leao runs to celebrate after scoring against Fiorentina

Key Takeaways:

  • Milan secured a 2:1 home victory over Fiorentina, regaining the top position in Serie A on 16 points last night
  • Rafael Leão scored both goals for Milan, including an 85th-minute penalty following a VAR intervention
  • Fiorentina remain 18th in the table with 3 points, after Robin Gosens had given them a brief lead

Match Overview

Milan reclaimed the Serie A summit with a 2:1 comeback win at home against Fiorentina in round seven of the competition. Despite falling behind early in the second half, the Rossoneri turned the tie around through a double from Rafael Leão, with the decisive goal coming from the penalty spot late in the match. Robin Gosens had earlier given Fiorentina the lead in the 55th minute.

TeamScoreScorersPoints After MatchCurrent Position
Milan2Rafael Leão (63′, 85′ pen)161st
Fiorentina1Robin Gosens (55′)318th

Describing the Action

The early stages of the match lacked clear chances, as both Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlović sent efforts over the bar from set-piece situations. Later in the first half, Zakaria Atemake and Alexis Saelemaekers each squandered promising opportunities without troubling the scoreline.

The visitors’ first real attempt arrived in the 53rd minute, when Hans Nicolussi Caviglia missed the target. Shortly after, Fiorentina seized the advantage: Luca Ranieri’s effort was initially saved by Mike Maignan, but the ball rebounded off Matteo Gabbia into the path of Robin Gosens, who made no mistake from close range.

Turning Point and Winning Goal

In response, Milan pressed for an equaliser, which arrived in the 63rd minute. Rafael Leão launched a powerful strike from distance, pulling the home side level at 1:1.

Milan continued pursuing a winner. However, attempts from Santiago Giménez and Youssouf Fofana failed to hit the target, while a 75th-minute strike from Dodô flew over the crossbar. On the counter, Samuele Ricci also shot wide. David De Gea was called into action to deny a sharp volley from Giménez shortly thereafter, and Matteo Gabbia sent a header over the bar from the resulting corner.

The decisive moment came in the 85th minute. Fabiano Parisi fouled Giménez inside the area, but the initial appeal was waved off by the referee. After a detailed VAR review, a penalty was awarded. Rafael Leão then stepped up to coolly convert from the spot, sealing Milan’s 2:1 triumph.

Standings and Implications

This result moved Milan to 16 points, allowing them to leapfrog Inter, Napoli, and Roma, who are on 15 points each. Fiorentina’s difficult start persists, as they remain in 18th place with only 3 points from their opening fixtures.


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