AC Milan seized their chance to go top of Serie A with a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory over Fiorentina, thanks to a brilliant second-half brace from Rafael Leão.

With city rivals Inter edging Roma 1–0 the previous evening, the door was open for Milan to climb to the summit — and they nearly made a flying start.

Fikayo Tomori squandered a golden opportunity just four minutes in, firing over from close range when he should have at least tested the goalkeeper. The hosts continued to press but wasted another clear chance midway through the first half, as Strahinja Pavlović somehow failed to hit the target from inside the box — summing up a frustrating opening period for Stefano Pioli’s side.

The momentum swung early in the second half when Robin Gosens bundled home for Fiorentina on 55 minutes, netting his first Serie A goal of the season. The opener, however, sparked Milan into life.

Just eight minutes later, Leão dragged his side level with a stunning strike from 25 yards, arrowing the ball into the bottom corner to ignite the San Siro crowd.

Milan nearly completed the turnaround in the 76th minute when Santiago Giménez’s effort was brilliantly tipped over the bar by David de Gea.

As the match appeared to be heading for a draw, VAR intervened five minutes from time, awarding Milan a penalty after a handball review. Leão kept his cool from the spot, sending De Gea the wrong way to seal a 2–1 victory and his second goal of the night.

With Fiorentina unable to muster a late response, Milan held firm to move one point clear at the top of the table. The result also marked a memorable milestone for Pioli, who celebrated his 500th Serie A match as a manager with a vital win and a return to first place.