Rafael Leao’s solo goal charged Milan to an inspiring victory over Fiorentina, who took a dent in their hopes for securing next season’s European football.
Inter’s defeat to Bologna had put Milan in an advantageous position before the game. The Rossoneri needed to seize the favour. And they somehow got the job done.Â
In the first half, Milan engineered quite a few chances. But none of the attempts hit the target. Franck Kessié’s through ball found Oliver Giroud in a scoreable position, where his chip went astray. That was the most feasible chance for Milan in the first half.
Other than that, Milan’s left wing, aided by the wily runners like Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao, looked lively along with Brahim Diaz, who played an active role in the no. 10 position. Fiorentina were dogged defensively and wasteful offensively, resulting in a 0-0 scoreline at the end of the first half.
In the opening portion of the second half, the home side went on to create some decent opportunities once again but with no visible outcome. Following the introduction of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ante Rebic, Milan intensified their attacking flow.Â
Eventually, it needed a mistake from Pietro Terracciano for Milan to draw the first blood in the game. The Fiorentina custodian’s misguided pass found Leao, who drove the ball past the guilty goalkeeper.Â
Here are the player ratings from Milan’s significant win over La Viola.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan (7); Calabria (6), Kalulu (6), Tomori (6.5), Theo Hernández (6.5); Tonali (6.5), KessiĂ© (6); Junior Messias (4.5), Brahim DĂaz (6.5), Rafael LeĂŁo (8); Giroud (5)
Substitutes: Rebic (6.5), Krunic (6), Ibrahimovic (6), Bennacer (N/A)
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Terracciano (4.5); Venuti (5.5), Milenković (6), Igor (6.5), Biraghi (6.5); Duncan (6.5), Amrabat (6.5), Maleh (5); Nico González (5.5), Saponara (6), Arthur Cabral (6)
Substitutes: Lucas MartĂnez Quarta (5.5), Bonaventura (6), Torreira (6), Ikone (6), Sottil (N/A)
