AC Milan Defeats Napoli 2-1 in Serie A Title Race Thriller at San Siro

AC Milan delivered a statement performance in the Serie A title race on Monday night, defeating table-toppers Napoli 2-1 at San Siro in front of 75,000 passionate supporters, closing the gap at the summit to just three points with 12 matches remaining.

Rafael Leao opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a spectacular solo effort, cutting inside from the left wing and curling a brilliant shot into the far corner past Alex Meret. The Portuguese winger's moment of magic sent the San Siro crowd into raptures and demonstrated why he remains one of Europe's most coveted attacking talents.

"Tonight we showed our character and quality," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli after the match. "Napoli is a fantastic team, but we played with intensity and belief from the first minute. Rafael and Olivier were exceptional, but this was a complete team performance when we needed it most."

Napoli responded well to falling behind, equalizing through Victor Osimhen's powerful header from a Lorenzo Insigne cross just five minutes before halftime. The Nigerian striker's 18th league goal of the season demonstrated the clinical finishing that has made him one of Serie A's most feared forwards.

The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Olivier Giroud scored what proved to be the winning goal, converting from close range after excellent work from Brahim Diaz. The French veteran's experience and positioning in the penalty area made the crucial difference in a tightly contested encounter.

The victory moves Milan to 61 points from 26 games, just three behind Napoli who had previously looked certain to claim their first Serie A title since 1990. With Inter Milan also lurking just five points back, the championship race has suddenly become a genuine three-way battle that promises to go down to the final weeks of the season. Milan's triumph provides massive momentum as they chase their first Scudetto since 2011.