May 01, (THEWILL) – AC Milan beat Fiorentina late in their Sunday fixture to extend their advantage at the top of Serie A to five points thanks to Rafael Leao’s goal.
The hosts had squandered numerous chances before being awarded the opener in the 82nd minute when La Viola goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano sent the ball straight to Leao, who calmly ran in and finished.
Arthur Cabral’s overhead kick was stopped by the home defence within the first minute as Fiorentina raced out of the blocks with determined spring in their steps.
Milan then put the ball in the back of the net thanks to a superb finish from Theo Hernandez, but Junior Messias was offside in the build-up and the goal was ruled out.
Igor missed a good chance after Cristiano Biraghi’s corner found him in a good position. Hernandez also wasted a good chance by hitting the side-netting from a tight angle as the goals were not forthcoming.
In an action-packed first 20 minutes, striker Olivier Giroud was the next to waste an opportunity, dragging a shot over when through on goal.
Stefano Pioli would not have chosen such an open game as a warm-up. Milan’s Serie A title challenge appeared to be going down to the wire, with Inter and Napoli hot on their tails.
At the start of the second half, Rafael Leao hammered one over the bar after good work from Brahim Diaz and Giroud as their misfiring in front of goal continued.
Milan were thereafter boosted by the introduction of Rade Krunic and Ante Rebic, with veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming on with 25 minutes remaining as Pioli’s side attempted to break the deadlock.
Hernandez found Rebic on the penalty spot after a move down the left flank, but the Croatian’s scuffed shot was cleared off the line. Mike Maignan was needed on the other end to claw away and then catch an Arthur Cabral header.
Then, Terracciano helped to break the tie when his weak clearing landed right at Leao’s feet. The Portugal international went solo and curled a shot into the far corner, sending San Siro into raptures.
With the win, AC Milan moves five points clear of Inter, who play Udinese later on Sunday. Milan will travel to Verona on Thursday with the hopes of edging closer to the Scudetto. On the same day, Fiorentina will face Roma for a chance to avenge their defeat.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
