Rafael Leão stars for Milan at Fiorentina, earns ovation | OneFootball

Last Sunday, October 19th, Rafael Leão was the main highlight in Milan’s victory over Fiorentina, by 2-1. The Sporting academy product scored twice in the match, which was his first start of the season, and secured all three points for his team in this fixture valid for the seventh round of Serie A.

The home win, achieved with this comeback, allowed Milan to take the lead in the league—which earned the Portuguese international a standing ovation from the San Siro crowd when he was substituted in stoppage time.

After a rather uneventful first half, Fiorentina took the lead in the 56th minute through Gosens, who appeared in the six-yard box to capitalize on poor communication between Maignan and Gabbia. Milan’s response was swift, coming just seven minutes later with a great goal from Leão: a well-placed shot from the edge of the area, unstoppable for David De Gea.

In the final ten minutes, Santiago Giménez was brought down inside the box, VAR alerted the referee to the foul and, from the penalty spot, the former Sporting player scored again. Despite going through a period of lower confidence, Leão made it 2-1 in the 86th minute, securing the win and putting Milan at the top of Serie A, one point ahead of the chasing trio—Inter, Napoli, and Roma.

In the current 2025/26 season, his seventh with Milan, Rafael Leão—valued at 70 million euros—has played four matches for the Rossoneri. Over the 65 minutes played, the former Sporting player has scored three goals and is still looking for his first assist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.