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Como made the brighter start and took the lead after 10 minutes when Marc-Oliver Kempf rose to head home a corner.

Despite the hosts controlling much of the first half, Milan struck in stoppage-time at the end of the first period as Christopher Nkunku calmly converted from the penalty spot after Kempf was penalised for pushing Rabiot in the box.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan produced a series of strong saves to keep Como at bay after the break before Milan took the lead in the 55th minute when Rabiot knocked the ball in from close range.

Como was denied an equaliser as Nico Paz saw his effort from outside the box crash against the crossbar.

Milan then sealed the win two minutes from time when Rabiot caught the Como defence off guard with a low strike from distance that skimmed atop the grass and into the bottom corner.

“This was a team victory, we showed our mentality,” Rabiot said after being named as the player of the match.

"We suffered a lot in the first half, but we talked during the break, came out with a different mentality, we all came out fighting for the three points.

"We gave something extra and I am very happy to score two goals, obviously, but above all I’m pleased with the mentality of the team."

While Rabiot provided the goals, another Frenchman, goalkeeper Maignan, made his mark with a string of crucial saves.

"We knew that playing here would be difficult, we were well-prepared. We started a little sluggish and they scored, but we managed to keep the game open, and then all together started to play as a team," Maignan said.

"We know these are great nights for Milan with an atmosphere like this. We suffered, we used up a lot of energy and left it all on the field."

Milan is second in the standings on 43 points, three behind rival and current league leader Inter Milan and three clear of Napoli in third, while Como is sixth with 34 points, and Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri praised the resilience of his team.

“We started playing with four midfielders in possession, trying to create more passing lines with [Youssouf] Fofana, but we lost our unity after going behind and ran quite a few risks on their through-balls and counter-attacks, so Maignan kept us alive,” Allegri said.

“Once we got back on level terms against a strong Como side that plays very well, and can be dangerous, I moved to three upfront, but after we turned it around and took the lead, I returned to how we started.

“We had other chances too, and so did Como. This is a very resilient team and we wanted the result at all costs.

“We did well and were also fortunate to equalise with the penalty, but then the game changed completely after the restart.”

After five wins and four draws, Como lost a home match for the first time in Serie A this season.

Boss Cesc Fabregas credited Milan for the win but felt his side deserved far more from the match.

“We have to work on mentality, as this is a young team. Usually I speak to the players right after the final whistle, but I couldn’t do it today,” he said.

“What can you say to lads who played like this and lost 3-1? It doesn’t happen often.

"Milan deserve credit for the game they played, bravo Maignan and Rabiot, sometimes you have to just tip your hat and say the individuals won it.

“We had studied Milan and knew a few areas where they could hurt us, and they did it in one of the situations we’d discussed.

"It hurts, obviously, but defeats help you to grow and we have real margin for improvement.”