In a key clash in the Italian Serie A, Fiorentina take on AC Milan at the Stadio Franci. The game was full of ups and downs, with Giroud failing to capitalise on a crucial scoring opportunity in the first half and a sudden change in the second. Shortly after the break, Rafael Leao unleashed a clever pass to break the deadlock for Loftus-Cheek, before Duncan pulled one back with a thunderous long-range strike to bring the two sides back to the same page. At the crucial moment, Reinders showed precise through-ball skills and assisted Leao to complete the fatal blow, helping AC Milan to take the lead again and finally seal a 2-1 victory.
Here's an overview of each player's ratings:
Maignan (7.5): A crucial save at half-time, especially when Milan's attack slowed down, he acted like a needle to defuse the crisis of his teammates.
Calabria (6): The defense was well-organized in the first half, but there were some problems in the opposition's frequent aggressive attacks.
Jiafu (5.5): Struggled to defend one-on-one, with a yellow card for an avoidable foul. Gabia (6.5 points), who came on as a second-half replacement, quickly stabilized the defence, especially in the closing stages of the game, forming a solid centre-back combination with Fikayo Tomori.
Fikayo Tomori (6): He had a great start, but his defense faltered as the Purple Lilies stepped up their offense, but they adjusted in time and returned to solid performance.
Florenzi (6.5): Clever as a wing-back, he cleverly switched between left and right feet and created two dangerous chances from set-pieces, forcing goalkeeper Terracciano to make world-class saves.
Bennacer (6): There were good and bad first-half periods, and although he played a transitional role in the midfield, there were also a few times when the ball was handled too hastily, which indirectly caused the opposition to counter-attack opportunities and missed the marking of Duncan.
Reinders (7): He showed an unpredictable change of position in the Fiorentina defence, and it was the subtle combination between him and Rafael Leao that led to the 2-1 victory, and his precise pass paved the way for Leao's breakthrough. Moussa, who came off the bench with six points, showed his physical superiority and still has work to do in terms of the timing he chooses.
Chukwueze (6.5): Stefano Pioli's clever deployment paid off in the first half, as he repeatedly attacked the Fiorentina defence, forced goalkeeper Traciano to make a brilliant save and indirectly caused opposition defender Biraghi to receive a yellow. Pulisic (6-pointer), who came off the bench, put some pressure on the Purple Lily's defence.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (7): Relatively lackluster in the first half, but seized the opportunity in the second half and scored the first goal to break the deadlock with a clever backheel assist from Rafael Leao, demonstrating his goalscoring instincts.
Rafael Leao (7.5): He missed a couple of good chances, but he set up Loftus-Cheek with his outstanding individual ability in the second half and then scored the game-winning goal himself, showing his skill and composure. Substitute Okafor 5.5 points: Pioli wanted him to show more, but didn't see it in the limited time.
Olivier Giroud (5): Two excellent chances in the first half failed to convert into a score, and in the second half, he was a little blurry and failed to pose more real threat to the opposition goal.
Coach Stefano Pioli (6.5): Despite dominating the first half but failing to convert more goals, he was in charge at key points in the second half, showing a fighting spirit and the ability to withstand pressure. He expressed his displeasure with the performance of some of the substitutes and expected them to contribute more, but praised Gabbia's excellent performance.