ROME (Reuters) – AC Milan climbed to the top of the Serie A desk with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday, when an early strike from in-type winger Rafael Leao proved decisive at San Siro.
Stefano Pioli’s aspect jumped forward of Inter Milan and Napoli, who drew 1-1 in Naples on Saturday, to go top with 55 factors.
It accomplished an excellent week for Milan, wherein they defeated rivals Inter within the Milan derby and hammered Lazio 4-0 within the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, leaving Inter one level behind with a sport in hand and Napoli two factors again in third place.
“We can name it an ideal week as a result of you may’t do higher than this,” Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali instructed DAZN.
“We are proud and glad however we cannot relaxation on our laurels as a result of that will be silly. We must reset all the things and proceed alongside this path.”
Portugal worldwide Leao skipped previous his marker and located the underside nook from a good angle after eight minutes to notch up his tenth objective of the season in all competitions.
Sampdoria goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone saved his aspect in it with a string of positive stops, but it surely was not a contented return to Milan for Samp coach and former Rossoneri boss Marco Giampaolo, whose aspect remained sixteenth with 23 factors.
Pioli praised his aspect’s improved maturity forward of the one-12 months anniversary of a shock defeat to Spezia that noticed their 2020-21 title bid crumble, and his gamers didn’t let him down.
Milan knew that three factors would ship them top as they search for a primary Serie A title since 2010-11, and they didn’t take lengthy to go in entrance.
Goalkeeper Mike Maignan launched a protracted ball out to the wing, the place Leao managed it, minimize inside a defender and calmly completed.
Falcone’s heroics saved Samp within the sport as he flew to his left to palm over a fierce Junior Messias strike on the brink of halftime earlier than blocking an acrobatic Olivier Giroud effort after the break.
The Frenchman was denied once more with a header that was tipped over the bar, whereas Ante Rebic’s shot was crushed away by the spectacular 26-12 months-previous.
(Reporting by Alasdair Mackenzie, modifying by Ed Osmond)
