Olivier Giroud cancelled out the Ciro Immobile opener, but Sandro Tonali snatched victory in stoppages to keep Milan top of the table and further damage Lazio’s European ambitions.
The pressure was on the Rossoneri after Inter’s victory over Roma sent them top. Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi and Simon Kjaer were out injured, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ante Rebic back on the bench after their lay-offs. The Biancocelesti were hit by a flu outbreak this week, so Adam Marusic and Pedro missed out, with Thomas Strakosha not at 100 per cent.
These sides met twice this season between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, Milan winning both at San Siro 6-0 on aggregate.
Serie A Liveblog: Inc Lazio-Milan, Empoli-Napoli, Salernitana-Fiorentina
It took just four minutes to break through, as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic got away from Franck Kessie down the right and pulled back from the by-line for Ciro Immobile to turn in from close range. It ended a run of six consecutive Serie A clean sheets for Mike Maignan.
Thomas Strakosha was unlucky when he tried to clear a poor back-pass, it ricocheted off Junior Messias and hit him on the hand outside the penalty area. As it was a ricochet and he did not make his body any larger – the arms were in front of him – the goalkeeper was only shown a yellow card.
Olivier Giroud nodded a Messias cross wide, but Mike Maignan had to rush outside his box for a sliding tackle on Immobile, who had been sent clear by Felipe Anderson’s slide-rule pass.
Rafael Leao caused trouble with his runs down the left, hitting the side-netting rather than rolling across for Giroud, then setting up Kessie to test Strakosha.
Milan had penalty appeals, but it ricocheted off Luis Alberto’s knee and then his arm from point-blank range, so was not considered intentional.
Theo Hernandez tried to bend his free kick around the wall to the near bottom corner, but Strakosha got down to beat it away. Lazio resorted to defending in numbers and throwing their bodies at a series of shots towards half-time.
Milan got their equaliser when Leao ran onto a long ball and burst away from Francesco Acerbi, pulling back from the by-line for Giroud to come sliding in at the near post ahead of Stefan Radu.
It was a Rossoneri siege at the Olimpico, Radu having to clear off the line from a Messias corner that was deflected off Kessie, then Messias cut inside and curled one with his left foot that clipped the outside of the far post.
Leao thought he’d scored on 83 minutes when flying past Adam Marusic, but Strakosha made the save at the near top corner.
Ante Rebic stung Strakosha’s gloves from the edge of the box, a strike that bounced just in front of the goalkeeper after another Leao run caused panic.
Strakosha was rooted to the spot and could only watch the Theo Hernandez scorcher skim the near top corner.
Deep into stoppages, Milan turned it around completely. Marusic, who suffered from flu midweek, was robbed by Rebic, Acerbi’s clearance on the cross was poor and Ibrahimovic knocked it back for Tonali’s control and volley from a couple of yards.
Lazio 1-2 Milan
Immobile 4 (L), Giroud 50 (M), Tonali 92 (M)
It’s insane how Milan didn’t score 4-5 goals today.
While Strakosha should’ve been dismissed for actually grabbing the ball to prevent an otherwise certain goal, this should be no excuse. Milan need to score more. You cannot win a Scudetto by needing 20 chances to score 2 goals.
Regardless of who wins it at the end.. this is one of the best Scudetto races in the past decade or so.. rollercoaster of emotions
Race is alive but still in Inter hands.
Cypher cry baby, everyone know that Rube who paid referees before they went bankrupt because of ronaldo hefty salary.. Your club just destroy italian football, and now everybody watching serie A again because Rube not even in title race. thats not coincidence
A great game, and great effort by Milan to take all 3 points. Man alive, I love watching Leao play…he always seems to show he’s having fun when he plays. His cross to ‘watch my leg’ Giroud was a great jolt to get Milan level.
VAR is a joke. How is Strakosha allowed to handle the ball outside the box and Luis Alberto also did a Rabiot / de Ligt and handled it. With a bit more composure Leao will be a top player for sure but Inter still have more fire power and will get the job done.
@Asian fans – Juve have plenty of money. The owners have Ferrari and are really rich. Don’t worry. Unlike Inter, where their owners need to move money around loads of fake accounts, Juve will always have plenty of money to invest. Moratti was smart enough to sell when the resell value was high. Enjoy your 2 scudetti every 15 years.
“football will win at the end of the day”
Said the guy that supports a team that has been relegated once for match fixing and then again in 2006. I’m curious to know if the People in the comments section are gen z kids? Are we supposed to forget the amount of corruption Juventus and Milan have been involved in for the last 40 years? Lol
@fino alla arse, Yes we have no money, that’s why paying referees claim to Inter is never valid argument.. enjoy your unknown super league because your club is disaster in europe
@Cypher: you are off-topic and delusional, sound like a broken record. Have you been drinking as well? Let me remember you that it was Juventus that have been proven several times to be cheating in the past decades.
@Fino: this championship proves that not the richest or wealthiest club wins 😉
I have always said that Don Beppe was the best bit business Inter have done in the last few years. I would go as far as to say in the last 20 years. They finally have a director who can sell, buy and replace with efficiency. Juventus now have a Marlboro Salesman and the greatest manager to have ever lived.
I just hope that PhD Max serves all the remaining 3 years as it keeps my name going. I will be watching the back, back, down, down slow ball this Monday and wait for the excuses of the deluded fan girls such as NOrata, Fate and the Many Unwise Guys.
Milan deserved the win.
Lazio have such an average squad, it really needs to be overhauled in the next few years, but Lotito won’t spend anything. Not sure what Acerbi was laughing at. Marusic at fault too.
Pressure back on Inter, while Napoli have done a Napoli and are now out of it.
I think tonali goal is a foul.
Var would have rule the goal out if it was Juventus goal.
Everyone seems to hate Juventus in serieA that’s why the league is not moving forward
Juventus will always be the king no matter what and agnelli is trying so hard to save this league from UEFA’s slavery
I hope Maldini focus on some italian talents. There are so many foreign players in the Milan squad. There were 4 frenchman in the starting 11. Italian football is becoming a real Joke.
A small league. Champion league will be be though for Milan
@Dre Tonal goal was not a foul but it was lucky just like Milan overall season. However for someone who thinks Agnelli is trying to save the league by creating a competition that will benifit him the most. I feel I’m wasting my time trying to explain this because you’re clearly delusional just like most Juve fans. Juve are involved in every scandal in Italy yet their fans believe its Inter who are guilty Lol.
If Inter win scudetto it will be a good news, but if it gies to Milan it only become less good news because at least it is not Rube the cheater that wins it.. that’s it when football wins
Milan fans is like brother for me, sometimes I laughing at my brother expense, sometimes I may be jealous of his achievement, but we are still brither that congratulates each other deep inside our mind.. but Rube is like family enemy, something that harmful for family and neighborhood.. So delusional @Dre still got a point right
@Solointer. I’ll take luck anyday over ref favor and what you call luck i call hardwork.