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.
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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)