Santiago Gimenez caused a penalty that gave Milan three points and the lead in Serie A
Rafael Leao scored twice as the Mexican was key in the Rossoneri's victory over Fiorentina
AC Milan regained the top of Serie A thanks to a hard-fought but crucial 2-1 win over Fiorentina at the San Siro. Rafael Leao was the hero with a brace, while Mexico's Santiago Gimenez stole some of the limelight by winning the game-winning penalty in the final minutes.
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With this victory, Massimiliano Allegri's team has 16 points and consolidates its sole leadership of the Italian championship.
The match had a scent of history and tension. In the visiting dugout was Stefano Pioli, the coach who led Milan to the last 'Scudetto' in 2022 and who now manages a Fiorentina side without a win this season. He returned to his old home to celebrate his 500th Serie A game and the eve of his 60th birthday, but ended up leaving with another defeat. "If there's a football god... let him be watching out of the corner of his eye," Pioli had said before the match, in a phrase that today sounds almost prophetic.
Leao appeared and Gimenez made the difference
Fiorentina took the lead in the 55th minute thanks to a goal from Robin Gosens, forcing Allegri to shake things up. Minutes later, Rafael Leao and Santiago Gimenez came on, completely transforming the pace of the game. The Portuguese equalized in the 63rd minute with a powerful and classy play, and four minutes from time came the key moment: the Mexican forward was brought down inside the area.
After the VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Leao took the ball, deceived David De Gea, and sealed the final 2-1. San Siro erupted. It was his first penalty converted in a Milan shirt and the goal that returned the Lombard team to the top of the table after more than three years. Leao's performance also served to mitigate the long list of absences—without Rabiot, Pulisic, Nkunku, Jashari, and Estupinan—and to strengthen Allegri's project, which has returned the team's lost solidity and confidence. For his part, Fiorentina is in the relegation zone with just three draws and four defeats, a critical situation that could cost Pioli his job.