A 51st minute goal from star man Rafael Leao shot AC Milan to the top of the Serie A table yesterday, the red side of Milan defeated Lazio 1-0 at the San Siro to regain first, although a Roma or Napoli win could change that today. It was not the easiest of wins but Milan well and truly deserved to win.
Christopher Nkunku and goalscorer Leao started up top for Milan in a 352 formation, with Alexis Saelemaekers and Davide Bartesaghi on the flanks. Luka Modric was also in action from the start. Boulaye Dia meanwhile started up top for Lazio in a 433, with Mattia Zaccagni and Gustav Isaksen to his left and right.
From minute 1, the match between Milan and Lazio was a tense encounter, decided by a single second-half goal and marked by a highly controversial and chaotic finish. The game started immediately with an astonishing moment in the 1st minute. Lazio won a free-kick, and Mario Gila connected with a well-directed, powerful header that forced an astonishing, world-class save from Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The ball rebounded off the crossbar, signifying an immediate and dramatic near miss for Lazio.
The intensity of the contest remained high, though clear-cut chances were scarce for a period. In the 20th minute, Lazio created another opportunity when a cross was not headed away convincingly, leaving Gustav Isaksen with a first-time shot on the spin from the edge of the box. It was a near miss, as Isaksen perhaps should have done better with the attempt.
The referee produced the first yellow card of the match in the 26th minute, booking Milan’s Fikayo Tomori for a foul on Mattia Zaccagni. Just after receiving the card, Tomori attempted to make amends offensively, striking a volley from the edge of the area that went wide, registering a wayward shot. Lazio pressed again just before the break, and in the 40th minute, Mike Maignan was forced into action again, parrying away a shot from Mattia Zaccagni from an acute angle. The first half ended goalless. The half was rather tepid and produced few clear-cut chances. Notably, Milan failed to register a single shot on target during the opening 45 minutes.
The second half began with more intensity from Milan and they ended up finding the crucial breakthrough in the 51st minute. The match-winner came from Rafael Leão, who met Fikayo Tomori’s powerful low cross with a sliding finish to put Milan up 1-0.
Lazio responded with increased aggression, leading to more bookings. In the 57th minute, Luca Pellegrini was booked for Lazio. Both sides then turned to their benches to influence the match. In the 62nd minute, Lazio made a double substitution: Fisayo Dele-Bashiru replaced Matias Vecino, and Valentín Castellanos came on for Boulaye Dia.
In the 63rd minute, Milan nearly doubled their lead. Rafael Leão connected with a powerful header, but Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel made a solid save, preventing the goal. Milan received another yellow card a minute later, with Matteo Gabbia being booked in the 64th minute. Milan made their first substitution in the 65th minute, bringing on Ruben Loftus-Cheek for Youssouf Fofana.
Lazio made a further change in the 70th minute, with veteran Pedro replacing Gustav Isaksen. The bookings continued in the 72nd minute, as Lazio’s Alessio Romagnoli was shown a yellow card. Milan made their second substitution in the 82nd minute, replacing Christopher Nkunku with Samuele Ricci. Lazio utilized their final two substitutions in the 85th minute: Varela Tavares replaced the cautioned Luca Pellegrini, and Tijjani Noslin came on for Toma Basic. Samuele Ricci, recently substituted on for Milan then received a yellow card in the 89th minute.
The final moments of the game descended into chaos, centering on a major VAR incident that lasted for several minutes in stoppage time. Lazio appealed for a penalty after a shot from Alessio Romagnoli was blocked by Strahinja Pavlovic, who was wrapped around Adam Marusic. The referee was summoned to the side of the pitch for an On-Field Review.
While the referee was reviewing the incident, two managers were dismissed for dissent. Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri was sent off , followed shortly after by Lazio assistant manager Marco Ianni.
Finally, the VAR decision was delivered: the referee ruled out a penalty for handball. The decision was based on the judgment that Strahinja Pavlovic had been fouled first by Adam Marusic. This controversial call preserved Milan’s lead.
In the 103rd minute, the final yellow card was issued to Lazio’s Mattia Zaccagni. The match finally concluded in the 104th minute, with the final score AC Milan 1-0 Lazio. The match was defined by Maignan’s stunning early save, Leão’s single goal, and the chaotic, controversial VAR decision that capped off the victory for Milan.
