Serie A Weekend Preview: Leão Inspires Milan Past Roma As Spalletti’s Juventus Start Strong

‎AC Milan’s 1-0 victory over Roma at the San Siro was a timely reminder of what Rafael Leão can do when he’s at his best.

‎The Portuguese winger hasn’t shown this kind of consistent brilliance since leading the Rossoneri to the Serie A title four seasons ago but on Sunday, he was unstoppable.

‎A burst of speed and precision from Leão set up the game’s only goal, while goalkeeper Mike Maignan stood tall at the other end to deny Paulo Dybala’s late penalty, securing all three points for Stefano Pioli’s men.

‎Leão’s Vintage Display

‎After missing the opening month of the season due to a calf injury, Leão has roared back to life. His trademark pace and flair tormented Roma’s defense all night.

‎Late in the first half, he sprinted down the left flank on a blistering counterattack before pulling the ball back for Strahinja Pavlovic, who finished calmly to make it 1-0.

‎Leão could have had a goal of his own, but was twice denied, first by a sharp one-handed save from Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar, and then by a goal-line clearance from Mario Hermoso.

‎The 25-year-old now has three goals and an assist in his last four games, underlining his importance at a time when Milan are missing Christian Pulisic through injury. It’s no coincidence that Milan’s upturn in form has coincided with Leão’s revival.

‎Maignan the Guardian

‎At the other end, Mike Maignan proved once again why he’s among Europe’s elite goalkeepers. Late in the second half, with the game finely poised, Maignan lunged to his left to keep out Dybala’s penalty a stunning stop that preserved Milan’s lead.

‎To compound Roma’s misery, Dybala appeared to injure himself while taking the spot kick and had to be substituted moments later. The Argentine had previously converted all 18 of his penalties for Roma, making Maignan’s save even more significant.

‎With that, Milan moved level on points with Roma and Inter, sitting just one behind leaders Napoli in a tightly contested title race.

‎Before kickoff, a moment of silence was held in memory of former coach Giovanni Galeone, mentor to both Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri and Roma’s Gian Piero Gasperini, who passed away at age 84.

‎Fiorentina’s Crisis Deepens

‎Elsewhere, Fiorentina’s struggles continued with a 1-0 home defeat to Lecce. Medon Berisha’s first-half volley sealed the win for the visitors after a costly mistake from Cher Ndour in midfield.

‎The loss extended Fiorentina’s winless streak to 10 games, leaving coach Stefano Pioli under intense pressure. The Viola have done well in Europe in recent seasons, reaching consecutive Conference League finals, but their domestic form has been dismal.

‎Adding to the chaos, the club parted ways with sporting director Daniele Pradè on Saturday. Now, with Fiorentina sitting second from bottom, Pioli’s future looks increasingly uncertain.

‎Inter Survive Scare, Win via Own Goal

‎Inter Milan also had a dramatic evening, edging Hellas Verona 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time own goal. Piotr Zielinski’s early strike was canceled out by Giovane before Verona’s Martin Frese inadvertently headed into his own net under pressure from Pio Esposito in the dying moments.

‎The win brought Inter within one point of Napoli and kept them in the thick of the title chase.

‎Spalletti’s Juventus Off to a Flying Start

‎Luciano Spalletti’s reign at Juventus began perfectly as the Bianconeri beat Cremonese 2-1. Filip Kostic marked his 33rd birthday with a goal inside two minutes finishing a flowing move that included a brilliant backheel assist from Lois Openda.

‎Andrea Cambiaso doubled the lead before Jamie Vardy, still proving his sharpness at 38, pulled one back for Cremonese.

‎Spalletti, who replaced Igor Tudor after an eight-match winless run, surprised many by deploying midfielder Teun Koopmeiners as a defender in a bold 3-5-2 setup.

‎“It was meant to send a message we’re not here to defend. We want to play,” Spalletti said post-match.

‎The victory lifted Juventus to fifth, level with both Milan clubs and just four points behind Napoli.

‎Napoli’s Frustration 

‎Napoli were held to a goalless draw by Como, but goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was the star of the show once again. The Serbian saved a penalty from Álvaro Morata his sixth save from the last ten spot kicks faced to secure a valuable point.

‎Despite losing Kevin De Bruyne to a long-term injury, Napoli remain top of Serie A, one point clear of their nearest challengers. Como, managed by Cesc Fàbregas, sits sixth after a resilient performance.

‎Elsewhere in Serie A

‎Udinese 1–0 Atalanta: Nicolò Zaniolo struck before halftime to hand Atalanta their first loss of the season and extend his personal run to three goals in four matches.

‎Bologna 3–1 Parma: Bologna’s win pushed them into fifth place, continuing their excellent form.

‎Torino 2–2 Pisa: A thrilling draw with both sides trading late goals.