Serie A | AC Milan 1-0 Lazio: Rafael Leao and VAR controversy decisive

Rafael Leao finished off a well-worked team move after more Mike Maignan heroics, as AC Milan saw off Lazio to temporarily go top of the Serie A table with a dramatic finale.

The Rossoneri were fresh off a Derby della Madonnina victory against Inter, but lost Christian Pulisic to injury, joining Santiago Gimenez and Zachary Athekame, so Christopher Nkunku stepped in. The Aquile’s only defeat in the last eight rounds was 2-0 here with Inter, but Danilo Cataldi was the latest addition to the absentee list along with Matteo Cancellieri, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot. Taty Castellanos was back on the bench, with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru added to the squad in place of Elseid Hysaj.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Bizarrely, these two teams will meet again on Thursday in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

It was almost the perfect start for Lazio, as a free kick was floated to the six-yard box for Mario Gila’s header in the opening 90 seconds, but Mike Maignan fingertipped it onto the crossbar.

Maignan was called into action again at the base of the near post after Mattia Zaccagni turned Fikayo Tomori, while the first real Rossoneri opportunity came just before half-time when Tomori scuffed a volley wide on the deflected Davide Bartesaghi cross.

Zaccagni also failed to steer a Gustav Isaksen cross on target at the back post, although Tomori had managed to clear regardless.

It was Milan who broke the deadlock after the restart with a well-worked move, as Saelemaekers and Fofana sent Tomori down the right, his hard and low ball across the six-yard box found Rafael Leao sliding in for the finish.

Adrien Rabiot and Fofana both fired their opportunities off target from very promising positions, while Fofana then hit a fresh-air shot having run from midfield to the edge of the box.

Taty Castellanos made his comeback after nearly two months out injured, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru also returned having been cut from the squad and put back in this week.

Ivan Provedel flew to palm away the Rafael Leao towering header on Bartesaghi’s cross, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek nodding wide on a similar move.

Castellanos at full stretch hooked a volley around Strahinja Pavlovic, but only into Maignan’s arms, and the Saelemaekers volley from a corner was cleared almost off the line by Luca Pellegrini.

Leao and Toma Basic tested the goalkeepers with snapshots from distance, while Provedel spilled a Pavlovic strike on a set play.

Contrasting emotions on display as VAR rules out Lazio’s 112th-minute penalty appeal

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Deep into stoppages, there were penalty appeals for an Alessio Romagnoli volley charged down by Pavlovic’s arm, prompting a VAR review and chaos on the touchline, with both Max Allegri and Sarri’s assistant manager Marco Ianni sent off for dissent. Following the review, the referee ruled that the arm was jutting out, but that Pavlovic was fouled by Adam Marusic first.

Milan 1-0 Lazio

Leao 51 (M)