Champions Milan snatch points after Barák fightback
The Rossoneri were looking to bounce back from a disappointing 0-0 draw with Cremonese on Tuesday and got off to a flying start, courtesy of Rafael Leão, as the Portuguese international raced through on goal to place the ball into the bottom corner after just two minutes. Milan luckily kept their lead just a matter of minutes later, as Riccardo Saponara’s shot rattled the near post to leave the Viola frustrated.
But Fiorentina grew into the game and started to have more of the ball, eventually grabbing an equaliser after 28 minutes. The goal came through Antonín Barák as his deflected shot found its way beyond Ciprian Tătărușanu, putting Milan’s 100% win record when scoring first in jeopardy. The Rossoneri nearly responded just before HT, though Brahim Díaz’s effort was thwarted brilliantly on the goalline by Lorenzo Venuti to keep the scores even.
The home side started the second half on the front foot, and forced a save from Pietro Terracciano when Olivier Giroud met a cross at the near post, only to be denied from point-blank range. Stefano Pioli’s side looked set for a disappointing draw in the dying moments, but there was to be one final twist, as Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenković put the ball into his own goal in added time to hand Milan all three points and their 50th all-time Serie A home win over La Viola.
On balance, Milan only just deserved to return to winning ways, as they look to keep pressure on league leaders Napoli and attempt to retain their title as champions. That said, the gap behind the Neapolitans remains a sizable eight points. Meanwhile, Fiorentina’s recent run of form came to an end after five wins in a row and a promising climb up the table, with the weight of a tiring European campaign still a disruptive factor in their domestic affairs.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Antonín Barák (ACF Fiorentina)