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·1 March 2024

Serie A | Lazio 0-1 Milan: Okafor beats 8 men as ref loses control

Milan emerged with three points thanks to a Noah Okafor goal, but Lazio finished the chaotic match down to eight men and with protests as the referee completely lost control.

The Aquile played early to prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Bayern Munich, with Patric and Nicolò Rovella not fully fit, but Mattia Zaccagni returning to the starting XI. Luka Jovic was still suspended, with Tommaso Pobega injured and Tijjani Reijnders rested after becoming a father last night. Pierre Kalulu and Fikayo Tomori were available on the bench after several months out.

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There was a huge Lazio chance after eight minutes, as a corner was flicked on by Felipe Anderson for Matias Vecino to prod inches wide from six yards.

The home fans were furious on 12 minutes when Alessandro Florenzi attempted a back-pass that Mike Maignan came sliding out to clear, as he continued to slide and the ball was already at the feet of a Milan teammate, he crashed into Taty Castellanos. The referee and VAR considered it to not be a penalty because Maignan got the ball first.

Maignan was right behind efforts from Zaccagni and Luis Alberto, but Milan’s first real chance in first half stoppages saw Ivan Provedel fingertip the Christian Pulisic scorcher over the bar. On the resulting corner, Olivieri Giroud nodded off target.

An acrobatic Giroud volley went over from a corner, but there was controversy when Lazio were reduced to 10 men. Luca Pellegrini had only just been booked for a foul on Pulisic and he received another yellow card for dragging the American back by the shirt. However, he thought play should’ve been halted earlier for a collision between Ismael Bennacer and Castellanos, so was trying to shepherd the ball out of play when Pulisic pinched it at the touchline.

Lazio are down to 10-men against AC Milan as Luca Pellegrini sees red for this challenge… 😳 pic.twitter.com/XBZ8NBGZAq — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2024

A well-worked passing move was concluded by a weak Giroud poke into the arms of Provedel, while Noah Okafor was inches away from meeting the Reijnders ball rolled across the face of goal.

Provedel made a stunning reaction save to fly and palm a ferocious Ruben Loftus-Cheek volley out from under the bar. Lazio then countered on the same move, but twice Gustav Isaksen fed Ciro Immobile, the first time Simon Kjaer made a decisive block, then he turned wide.

Milan had the ball in the back of the net moments later when Rafael Leao’s cross took a deflection off Mario Gila to wrong-foot Provedel. However, it was disallowed by VAR as Leao’s knee and half his head were offside.

Tomori made his comeback and Milan took the lead in chaotic circumstances. Leao pulled back from the by-line for Okafor from 14 yards, his first shot was saved by Provedel, Gila then made a decisive block on the Giroud follow-up, and Provedel had got his glove to the third attempt from Okafor as well, but it was too powerful to be kept out. Lazio had wanted this disallowed for Pulisic’s position, but he was not offside.

AC Milan make the breakthrough! ⚽️ — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2024

It still wasn’t over, as Immobile scuffed an angled drive wide following a Loftus-Cheek error. The referee then completely lost control of the match, as he showed a straight red card to Adam Marusic for dissent after a push on Leao.

Moments later, Lazio were reduced to eight men, as Matteo Guendouzi was very, very harshly given a red card for a reaction foul on Pulisic, but there seemed precious little in it.