Lazio stun Milan as Como beat ten-man Roma to boost UCL hopes
Reading Time: 4min | Mon. 16.03.26. | 07:19
The two Roman clubs had mixed fortunes yesterday, while the title race in Italy might have been decided at Stadio Olimpico
When Atalanta held out the Serie A table-toppers for a 1-1 draw two days ago, the ball moved to AC Milan’s court.
The Rossoneri needed a win over Lazio at Stadio Olimpico to close the gap behind the city rivals to five points and re-establish uncertainty in Italy’s top flight.
Nevertheless, Massimiliano Allegri’s men succumbed to pressure, falling short against the Romans and suffering a painful 1-0 defeat.
Given their display, the Rossoneri hardly deserved to triumph, as Maurizio Sarri’s struggling crew anaesthetized all the visitors’ key offensive assets.
The crucial moment of the match occurred in the 26th minute when Gustav Isaksen won a duel with Pervis Estupinan, sent the ball behind Mike Maignan’s back from close range, and brought Milan to their knees, delighting the black and blue part of the city.
🚨 LAZ 1 – 0 ACM | FULL TIME 🚨
— SD Live (@SDLive_Official) March 15, 2026
AC MILAN FAIL TO CAPITALIZE ON INTER’S SLIP-UP ❌
THE ROSSONERI MISS THE CHANCE TO CLOSE THE GAP AFTER A 1–0 DEFEAT TO LAZIO ⚽#Lazio #ACMilan #SerieA pic.twitter.com/7or4sxp3Wf
Aware of Inter's draw against Atalanta two days ago, the Rossoneri put the pressure on the rivals from the first moment, with Strahinja Pavlovic and Pervis Estupinan wasting decent chances in the opening 25 minutes.
On the other hand, Lazio waited for a chance to strike, and they seized it in the 26th minute. Instead of scoring the opener minutes earlier, Estupinan lost a duel with Gustav Isaksen after a long ball, the Dane faced Mike Maignan one-on-one and took no prisoners, putting the Romans in front!
That goal completely changed the momentum of the game, as Lazio were close to doubling their lead through none other than Daniel Maldini, son and grandson of Milan's legends, Paolo and Cesare.
Still, Maignan pulled off a solid save, keeping his team only one goal down at the break.
Massimiliano Allegri's half-time talk apparently motivated his lads to chase the leveller once they got out of the locker room, but apart from one massive chance for Christian Pulisic, which Edoardo Motta denied, Milan put in a quite lackluster display.
The Rossoneri boss tried to wake his crew up by subbing on Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku, but the German and the Frenchman blended into the team's mediocrity.
A quarter of an hour before the end, the 21-year-old Zachary Athekame found the net, but a handball prior to the goal deprived him of the role of a hero.
In the final ten minutes, Milan desperately pushed for the eventual equalizer, but even the six minutes of added time weren't enough for the Rossoneri to avoid a defeat.
Inter are now very close to the new Scudetto, as their city rivals evidently cannot keep up the pace.
Como in the Champions League? Get used to this idea, as Cesc Fabregas' men do not intend to give up and let someone else win the Serie A UCL race.
Yesterday, they brushed aside the direct rivals for the precious spot, Roma, bringing Gian Piero Gasperini's crew to its knees at home - 2-1.
The Giallorossi were in a comfortable situation at the break, despite Como's dominance, as they were 1-0 up thanks to Donyell Malen's spot-kick goal seven minutes into the game.
Nevertheless, the tables have turned shortly after the break, as Anastasios Douvikas equalized the score in the 59th minute, while Roma's Wesley Franca was sent off five minutes later.
Fabregas' crew accepted the Brazilian's gift, exploited the numerical advantage, and scored the critical winner in the 79th minute through the former Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos.
Como are now alone in fourth place in the league, and their UCL dream seems more vivid than ever.
SERIE A - MATCHDAY 29
Friday
Torino - Parma 4-1 (1-1)
/Simeone 3, Delprato 55 og, Keita 57 og, Zapata 90+1 - Pellegrino 20/
Saturday
Inter - Atalanta 1-1 (1-0)
/Esposito 26 - Krstovic 88/
Napoli - Lecce 2-1 (1-1)
/Hojlund 46, Politano 67 - Siebert 3/
Udinese - Juventus 0-1 (0-1)
/Boga 38/
Sunday
Verona - Genoa 0-2 (0-0)
/Vitinha 61, Ostigard 86/
Pisa - Cagliari 3-1 (1-0)
/Moreo 9 pen, Caracciolo 52, 54 - Pavoletti 67/
Sassuolo - Bologna 0-1 (0-1)
/Dallinga 6/
Como - Roma 2-1 (0-1)
/Douvikas 59, Carlos 79 - Malen 7 pen/
Lazio - Milan 1-0 (1-0)
/Isaksen 26/
Monday
22.45: (3.80) Cremonese (3.45) Fiorentina (2.00)
***odds are subject to change***