Rafael Leão Shines as AC Milan Edges Roma 1-0 at San Siro

Rome, Nov 3 (AP) Rafael Leão reminds fans of his MVP days from four seasons past, where he played a pivotal role in AC Milan clinching the Serie A title. Mike Maignan also underlined his essential presence in the Rossoneri squad on Sunday.

A thrilling burst of speed from Leão resulted in the match's only goal, while Maignan safeguarded the lead by thwarting a crucial penalty from Paulo Dybala late in Milan's 1-0 victory over Roma. Just before halftime, Leão unleashed a counterattack from the left wing, setting up Strahinja Pavlovic for a decisive finish.

Leão's contributions didn't end there; he orchestrated several more opportunities at San Siro. However, a one-handed save from Roma's goalkeeper Mile Svilar and a vital goal-line clearance by defender Mario Hermoso kept him at bay. Maignan then expertly dived to his left to parry away Dybala's penalty attempt. To compound Roma’s woes, Dybala limped off the field after missing the penalty, having previously converted all 18 of his spot-kicks for Roma.

Leão, who sat out the season's initial month due to a calf injury, has reemerged in top form, compensating for Christian Pulisic's absence with a hamstring issue. Leão's recent performances, including a brace against Fiorentina, amount to three goals and an assist in his last four outings. AC Milan is now level with Roma and Inter Milan, trailing Serie A leader Napoli by just a single point.

Before the match commenced, a solemn moment of silence commemorated former coach Giovanni Galeone, who passed away at 84. Revered as a mentor to both Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri and Roma's Gian Piero Gasperini, Galeone’s legacy remains influential.

Fiorentina Crisis

Fiorentina's struggles deepened with a 1-0 defeat against Lecce, leaving them winless across 10 matches, thus placing coach Stefano Pioli’s position in jeopardy. Medon Berisha capitalized on a midfield error by Cher Ndour to give Lecce the lead. A VAR intervention nullified a second-half penalty opportunity for Fiorentina.

Originally brought in after Raffaele Palladino led the club to a sixth-place finish, Pioli’s tenure sees Fiorentina in 19th place, just a point above Genoa. Despite European successes, including consecutive runner-up finishes in the Conference League, domestic form has been elusive. As Fiorentina tops their Conference League group, they next face Mainz.

Pioli previously guided Milan to the 2022 Serie A championship and later coached Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr before joining Fiorentina. Recent changes saw the termination of sporting director Daniele Prade’s contract by mutual consent, signaling potential further shifts.

Own-Goal for Inter

Earlier, Inter Milan closed the gap with Napoli, now just a point behind after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Hellas Verona, decided by a stoppage-time own-goal. Piotr Zielinski initially put Inter ahead via a corner play, but Giovane leveled for Verona before halftime. In the closing moments, pressure from Pio Esposito led to an inadvertent own goal by Martin Frese.

Additionally, Bologna secured a 3-1 win away at 10-man Parma, elevating them to fifth place, while Torino settled for a 2-2 stalemate with Pisa.

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