Milan Soars to Serie A Top Spot with Leao's Crucial Goal at Cagliari
Image Source: Internet
AC Milan secured the top spot in Serie A with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cagliari on Friday. Rafael Leao's pivotal second-half goal lifted the visitors to 38 points, two ahead of Inter Milan, who host Bologna on Sunday. Cagliari, who played with confidence in the first half, struggled to capitalize on their chances, with the best opportunity coming from Michel Adopo's glancing header, which Mike Maignan easily saved. Milan's performance was far from impressive, but they managed to turn the game around after halftime. Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a chance to open the scoring, but his header sailed over the crossbar. Leao eventually broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half, drilling a shot into the net after Adrien Rabiot's low pass found him in space. The goal took the wind out of Cagliari's sails, and they failed to mount a comeback. The visitors' manager, Stefano Pioli, made the most of the opportunity, as his team extended their unbeaten run in Serie A to 16 games. In a surprise move, Pioli gave German forward Niclas Fullkrug his debut from the bench, marking the forward's loan signing from West Ham United.
