AC Milan climbed back to the top of Serie A on Sunday after overturning a deficit to defeat Fiorentina 2–1 at San Siro, moving one point ahead of city rivals Inter.
Rafael Leao was the hero for the Rossoneri, striking twice in the second half, including an 86th-minute penalty, to complete the comeback and deliver a much-needed victory for Stefano Pioli’s side.
The Portuguese winger, who had endured a quiet start to the 2025–26 campaign following injury, rediscovered his spark in stunning fashion, netting his first league double since November 2024 against Cagliari.
His brace also ended a 512-day wait for a Serie A goal at San Siro, his last having come in May 2024 versus Salernitana.
The first half offered little excitement, with both sides struggling to create clear chances.
Fiorentina, who failed to test Mike Maignan before the interval, came alive after the restart and broke the deadlock on 55 minutes. Robin Gosens slid home from close range after Luca Ranieri’s header caused chaos in the Milan box.
Milan hit back swiftly, however. Eight minutes later, Leao found space on the edge of the area and curled a superb effort into the bottom-right corner to level the score.
The hosts pressed relentlessly in search of a winner, and only a superb reflex save from David De Gea denied substitute Santiago Gimenez from scoring with his first touch.
Their persistence paid off late on when Fabiano Parisi clumsily brought down Gimenez inside the area. After a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot.
Leao stepped up with confidence, sending De Gea the wrong way and slotting the ball calmly into the bottom-left corner to secure all three points.
It was a statement performance from Milan, who dominated the second half with 14 shots and an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.56, compared to Fiorentina’s five efforts worth 1.08 xG. Leao’s brilliance ultimately made the difference, a reminder of his quality and his importance to Milan’s title ambitions.
