AC Milan have been handed an early elimination from the Coppa Italia after losing 1-0 away at Lazio yesterday in the round of 16 of the Italian Cup. In an otherwise drab match, an 80th minute goal from Mattia Zaccagni was enough to seal the win and Milan’s fate.
The home side lined up in a 433 with Valentin Castellanos up top flanked by Gustav Isaksen to his right and goalscorer Zaccagni to his left. Milan were set up in a 3511 formation with Rafael Leao up top and Ruben Loftus-Cheek just behind him. Pervis Estupinan and Alexis Saelemaekers were on the left and right flanks.
The match between was a tight, low-scoring affair, characterized by missed opportunities and defensive solidity, which Lazio eventually edged 1-0, avenging their league defeat from just a few days ago, also a 1-0 scoreline.
The game started with immediate intensity, resulting in an early card. In the 2nd minute, Milan’s Strahinja Pavlovic was booked for a deserved early lunge into Mattéo Guendouzi.
Lazio grew into the game and responded with two early wayward shots, but Valentin Castellanos and Toma Basic skewed strikes wide of the mark. In the 4th minute, Toma Basic’s free-kick also went over the bar.
Lazio created the first significant near miss early on when Toma Basic sprinted forward on a Mattia Zaccagni flick and flashed his angled drive inches wide of the far post. The game’s first shot on target came in the 33rd minute after a Milan giveaway, but Milan captain Mike Maignan comfortably held on to the shot from Valentin Castellanos.
Milan’s best chance of the first half came in the 38th minute, a near miss where Ruben Loftus-Cheek attempted an instinctive backheel flick, but he could not get enough power on it, and Lazio keeper Christos Mandas picked it up. On the stroke of half-time, Mike Maignan was forced to make a reaction save on Gustav Isaksen’s volley from a deflected corner. The teams went into the break with the score tied at 0-0.
The second half began with a wayward shot from Lazio, as Luca Pellegrini fired way over from distance in the 46th minute. Milan came close in the 51st minute, where a big chance for Ruben Loftus-Cheek resulted in another near miss as his leaping header went over the bar.
Lazio made the first substitutions of the half in the 58th minute, bringing on Tijjani Noslin and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru for Matías Vecino and Valentín Castellanos. Milan immediately tested the new Lazio setup, as Alexis Saelemaekers fired a curler that was right at Christos Mandas in the 60th minute, forcing a save.
The intensity remained high, leading to another card in the 62nd minute, when Alexis Saelemaekers was cautioned for an ugly challenge that gave away a dangerous free kick. Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri responded by substituting the booked player, with Christopher Nkunku replacing Alexis Saelemaekers in the 64th minute.
Milan created another wayward shot in the 69th minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek was thrown off by Dele-Bashiru, and turned another header off target at the back post. The away side then had a major near miss in the 71st minute when Rafael Leao ballooned a left-footed half-volley high into the stands from eight yards. This chance was created after Ardon Jashari floated a ball to the by-line for Pervis Estupiñán to knock back. Lazio made a substitution in the same minute, with Nuno Tavares replacing Luca Pellegrini.
The breakthrough finally came in the 80th minute. Mattia Zaccagni secured the winner, brilliantly heading Nuno Tavares’ corner past Mike Maignan.
Milan immediately responded with a double substitution in the 81st minute, bringing on Luka Modrić and Christian Pulisic for Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ardon Jashari. Lazio followed up with their own double change in the 83rd minute, as Matteo Cancellieri and Pedro came on for Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni.
Maignan kept the deficit at one in the 85th minute, pushing away a rocket of a shot from Tijjani Noslin in a big reaction save. Milan made their final substitution in the 87th minute with Davide Bartesaghi on for Pervis Estupiñán.
In stoppage time, Milan pushed for the equalizer, forcing a save from the Lazio keeper in the 90th minute plus one when Christos Mandas flew to palm away a Christian Pulisic scuffed strike from just inside the box on the near side.
Lazio then missed a chance to end it in the 5th minute of stoppage time, with Adam Marušić putting his shot high from a wide angle, another wayward shot as was largely the theme of the night. The match concluded a few moments later with the final score Lazio 1-0 AC Milan.
