In a match crucial to the Scudetto race, Rafael Leao’s late goal earned Milan a hard-fought victory over Fiorentina. While the hosts had some struggles on the offensive end, they were the better side for much of the match, as the backline in particular turned in a top performance. For Fiorentina, the midfield showed flashes of promise, but their offense failed to generate many meaningful attacking chances.
Milan
Mike Maignan – 8
With elite distribution that nearly earned him multiple assists, Maignan’s well-roundedness was on display. Late in the match, the goalkeeper made a critical close-range save against Arthur Cabral, his reflexes rescuing all three points for the hosts.
Pierre Kalulu – 7
Kalulu put in a solid shift, making no serious errors on the backline. In the second half, he also displayed the importance of his versatility, pushing the ball down the wing as Milan searched for the winner.
Fikayo Tomori – 8
Early on, it appeared that Tomori picked up a muscular injury, but the centre-back toughed it out. The knock did not effect his level of play, as he won several challenges and distributed the ball well up the field.
Theo Hernandez – 8
Though his play dropped off in the second half and he was lucky not to be sent off for an elbow to the head of Lucas Martinez Quarta, Hernandez performed well. He made several big tackles and scored a fantastic goal that was ultimately called back.
Davide Calabria – 8.5
Tasked with defending against the shifty Nicolas Gonzalez, Calabria showed off his outstanding defensive skill. Captaining the Rossoneri, he helped curb Fiorentina’s usually deadly creativity on the wing, while also winning seven challenges.
Sandro Tonali – 8.5
The deep-lying playmaker was hugely influential for Milan, playing a wide array of incisive passes. When Ismael Bennacer was introduced later in the match, Tonali continued to impress from a more advanced and involved position.
Franck Kessie – 7
The Barcelona-bound midfielder was a positive for Milan, helping to progress play into attacking areas of the pitch. He was also effective distributing the ball outside of the box, which created several chances in the first half.
Brahim Diaz – 4.5
Though Diaz was involved early and often for Milan, his passing in the final third left a lot to be desired. With teammates streaming into gaps in the Viola backline, he spoiled multiple chances by holding onto the ball too long and overhitting a passes.
Junior Messias – 4.5
On the right wing, Messias was unable to do much of anything against Cristiano Biraghi. After he managed just 23 touches in 50 minutes, Stefano Pioli quickly removed him in favor of Ante Rebic.
Rafael Leao – 8
While scoring his tenth goal of the Serie A campaign, Leao turned in a great performance. When Fiorentina’s goalkeeper turned the ball over, the winger wasted no time pushing the ball into the box and firing a low shot into the near post, winning the match for his side.
Olivier Giroud – 5
The Frenchman whiffed on a one-on-one with Pietro Terracciano while reverting to his less-than-impressive form.
Substitutes
Ante Rebic – 7
Replacing Messias, Rebic’s introduction immediately changed Milan’s attack. He created several chances from the left wing and nearly scored a go-ahead goal.
Rade Krunic – 6
Krunic provided a physical and consistent presence in the midfield, and was not asked for much else.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – N/A
Ismael Bennacer – N/A
Rafael Leão takes advantage of Fiorentina’s mistake and Milan get a huge goal in the Scudetto race. ?⚫️ pic.twitter.com/1KCuUYATqL
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 1, 2022
Fiorentina
Pietro Terracciano – 4
During a seemingly normal performance, Terracciano made a fatal error that doomed his side to the loss. The goalkeeper played the ball directly to Leao in the 82nd minute, and the winger made him pay.
Igor – 5.5
The first half was a nightmare for Igor, who struggled to keep track of Milan’s attackers. Fiorentina allowed far too many passes through the backline and were extremely fortunate not to concede early on. However, the centre-back’s form improved marginally in the second half.
Nikola Milenkovic – 7
Against Milan’s talented crop of attackers, Milenkovic was one of the visitors’ best players. Even with subpar support from his partner, he won several crucial tackles and distributed well from the backline.
Lorenzo Venuti – 6
The wing-back had a decent first half, spending a lot of time in possession for his side. However, a first-half yellow card forced Vincenzo Italiano to rethink his tactics, and he replaced Venuti with Lucas Martinez Quarta after the break.
Cristiano Biraghi – 7
Facing an in-form Messias, Fiorentina’s captain shut down the Brazilian. He restricted space in the channel from his unusually reserved role.
Sofyan Amrabat – 7.5
After Milan’s early attacking chances, Amrabat settled down and became much more effective from the defensive midfield. His contributions in front of the backline kept Fiorentina in the match until the end.
Alfred Duncan – 7
Duncan provided a consistent midfield presence from his versatile role. After a quality first half, his form faltered in the second, but he was still one of his side’s better players.
Youssef Maleh – 5
Like Venuti, Maleh’s yellow card likely influenced his early removal from the match. During his time on the field, the midfielder took care of the ball, but he struggled to create any sort of attacking chance.
Riccardo Saponara – 4
The first of Fiorentina’s three forwards who had poor showings, Saponara was dispossessed three times during his stint on the field. He failed to create anything of substance against Calabria and had a day to forget.
Nicolas Gonzalez – 5
From his right-wing position, Gonzalez found himself frequently on the ball, but he was unable to do much with it. Despite his high work rate, he lacked his typical creativity in the final third.
Arthur Cabral – 5.5
The striker had a somewhat quiet match, but his form improved in the final 20 minutes. Late in the match, Cabral got his head on a cross from Biraghi, but Maignan managed an incredible save to keep him off the scoresheet.
Substitutes
Lucas Martinez Quarta – 6
Replacing Venuti at right-back, Martinez Quarta provided decent, but mediocre minutes in relief of the defender.
Giacomo Bonaventura – 5.5
Against his former club, the midfielder played conservatively, managing just one touch in the attacking third.