Pedro nets last-minute penalty to clinch thrilling Serie A win for Lazio in Milan

Lazio secured their place back in the Serie A top four with a hard-fought 2-1 win against AC Milan at the San Siro, thanks to Pedro’s late penalty, marking their seventh triumph in their last eleven away matches in Italy’s premier league.

Both teams entered the fixture eager to enhance their European ambitions. While Lazio continues to chase a UEFA Champions League spot, Milan must first close the gap on Bologna, who occupy the UEFA Conference League position, a challenge made more difficult after their defeat to the Rossoblu earlier in the week.

From the outset, it was Lazio who posed the greater threat, with Mike Maignan forced into an early save from Boulaye Dia within three minutes. The Lazio forward missed with a header soon after, and Gustav Isaken’s effort skimmed past the post as the visitors asserted their intent.

Only a last-ditch tackle from Yunus Munah prevented Dia from going one-on-one with Maignan again, although replays offered little clarity on whether there had been contact.

Following that near-miss, Milan finally reacted, with Tijjani Reijnders forcing a stop from Ivan Provedel.

However, it wasn’t long before Lazio regained control and soon took the lead. After Maignan’s intervention to stop Isaksen, a quick counter led to Adam Marusic’s shot, which, while deflected by the Milan keeper, fell straight to Mattia Zaccagni for an easy finish.

After the break, Samuel Gigot had a shot saved by Maignan, while Joao Felix blazed an effort over at the other end.

 Milan began to apply sustained pressure on the Lazio defence, but their hopes of levelling took a severe hit when Strahinja Pavlovic was shown a straight red card for fouling Isaken as he raced towards goal.

This decision momentarily sapped the energy from the Rossoneri, and even as they pressed forward in search of an equaliser, Provedel was rarely tested.

Nevertheless, following the introduction of several attacking substitutes, one, Chukwueze, found the net with a powerful header from Rafael Leao’s cross that hit the bar before going in.

 With their momentum building, Milan sought to find a second goal, but Lazio delivered the decisive blow with almost the final kick of the match.

After Maignan brought down Isaksen in the box, referee Gianluca Mangianello consulted the pitchside monitor and had no option but to award a penalty. Pedro stepped up and converted confidently from the spot.

This thrilling late drama sees Lazio leapfrog Juventus into fourth place, setting the stage for a captivating battle for a Champions League spot between the two clubs.

Milan, on the other hand, will be left devastated by such a defeat and now find themselves nine points behind their Roman rivals, marking their first loss in nine Serie A home matches.

This result also marks Milan’s third consecutive league defeat, a situation not seen since February 2023, which will undoubtedly increase the pressure on manager Sergio Conceicao.