AC Milan climbed to the top of the Serie A table on Saturday after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Lazio at the San Siro. This match ended with late drama and the dismissal of manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Rafael Leao scored the decisive goal in the 51st minute, forcing home Fikayo Tomori’s low cross to register his sixth goal of the season.
The Portugal forward’s strike proved enough to move Milan one point ahead of Roma, with the league leaders now waiting to see how Roma and Napoli perform on Sunday.
The first half offered little excitement, aside from a superb early save by goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who denied Mario Gila’s well-directed header moments after kick-off. The Frenchman once again highlighted his importance to Milan, coming off a match-winning display in last weekend’s derby.
Ahead of the match, sporting director Igli Tare hinted that Maignan, whose contract expires at the end of the season, is close to signing an extension. “We came to an agreement together at the start of the season, we’re moving forward without any pressure on either party,” he said.
While Leao’s goal separated the sides, the real fireworks erupted in stoppage time. Lazio appealed for a penalty after the ball struck Strahinja Pavlovic’s hand in the box, prompting referee Giuseppe Collu to consult VAR. During the review, Allegri was shown a red card for dissent, adding to the tension.
In the end, Collu ruled against awarding a penalty, sparking celebrations from Milan players and fans. The defeat leaves Lazio eighth with 18 points, marking their fifth loss of the season and keeping them five points behind seventh-placed Juventus, who earlier defeated Cagliari 2-1.
