AC Milan continued their unbeaten home Serie A head-to-head record by defeating SS Lazio at the San Siro, reclaiming their position at the top of the Serie A table, at least temporarily.
Before the match, Lazio had only managed one draw in Serie A this season, with two wins and three losses. The previous 11 head-to-head encounters between Milan and Lazio had all resulted in a winner, with Milan winning seven matches and losing four.
The game started evenly, with both teams having their fair share of chances. However, it was Rafael Leão who began to make an impact on the game with his direct runs and skill. He forced Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel into making a near-post save. Milan ended the first half on a positive note, with Olivier Giroud’s initial shot being spilled by the goalkeeper, only for Tijjani Reijnders to hit the post with his follow-up.
Chances were few and far between in the second half, but Milan managed to break the deadlock in the 60th minute. Leão pulled the ball back towards the penalty spot, where Christian Pulisic arrived unmarked and calmly slotted in his third Serie A goal of the season. Lazio tried to respond, but Milan remained in control of the game.
With 15 minutes left to play, neither Milan nor Lazio had scored a goal after the 75th minute in Serie A this season. It seemed unlikely that Lazio would find an equalizer, and Milan took advantage of this by scoring a second goal to seal the victory. Leão once again played a crucial role as he sprinted down the left flank and crossed the ball to substitute Noah Okafor, who scored his second goal of the week.
Lazio did manage to score a spectacular goal through Pedro, but it was disallowed due to an offside in the build-up. This victory marks three consecutive wins in the league for Milan since their disappointing derby day defeat.
On the other hand, Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio find themselves stuck in mid-table, struggling to string together a consistent run of positive results after a poor start to their Serie A campaign.