Leao’s late magic crowns Milan as they seize Serie A lead in a 2-1 thriller

Match Recap

Milan turned the tables on their visitors Fiorentina at San Siro, overturning a first-half deficit to win 2-1 in Serie A’s Week 7 clash.

Fiorentina opened the scoring in the 56th minute through Robin Gosens, who headed in a cross after a defensive mix-up to break the deadlock.

Milan equalized in the 63rd minute when Rafael Leao cut inside from the right and fired a precise shot past the keeper, restoring parity for the Rossoneri.

Leao sealed the comeback with a late penalty in the 82nd minute, after a handball in the box, converting calmly to put Milan ahead for good.

The tactical battle saw Massimiliano Allegri deploy a 3-5-1-1 for Milan, with a back three featuring Tomori, Gabia, and Pavlovic, Maignan between the posts, and a midfielder trio of Fofana, Modric, and Ricci flanked by an advanced line including Attikami and Leao behind Santiago Gimenez.

Stefano Pioli set Fiorentina up in a 3-5-2, with De Gea in goal and a backline of three defending behind him, while the midfield crew pressed Milan and looked to feed the front two, Moises Kean and supporting runners from midfield.

The start of the game was cautious, with both sides wary of overcommitting, as the ball mostly circulated in midfield for about 20 minutes before Milan created a test for De Gea and the Fiorentina defense with a couple of sharp moves from the wings.

De Gea produced a crucial save to deny a late first-half surge from Milan, while Maignan kept Fiorentina at bay with neat saves that preserved the stalemate at the break.

As the second half wore on, Milan intensified their pressure and found the decisive opening through Leao, whose energy and precision unlocked Fiorentina’s defense in moments that mattered most.

The moment of truth arrived when a handball forced the referee to award a penalty, which Leao converted with composure and style to crown Milan’s resilience and depth this evening.

In the end, Milan’s 2-1 win lifts them to the top of Serie A with 16 points, one ahead of Inter, Napoli, and Roma. Fiorentina drop to 3 points, sitting in 18th as they search for a spark to climb the table.

Two quick notes from the tactical perspective: Milan pressed high with a compact midline that allowed Leao and Gimenez to exploit width, while Fiorentina looked dangerous on the break but struggled to sustain pressure after going behind.

Final whistle, and Milan fans could celebrate a comeback that felt as much about spirit as strategy, while Fiorentina will want to regroup and hunt for a reliable run in the next fixture.

Sniper punchline 1: If Milan keeps this up, even their goals will come with a warning label: “May cause sudden top-of-the-table happiness.”

Sniper punchline 2: Fiorentina’s defense might need a map—tonight’s checkmark in the loss column had more twists than a pretzel, but hey, at least they learned how to make Leao pay for dessert.