Breaking News: AC Milan Manager Paulo Fonseca Has Finally Give Christian Pulisic Loan To………………..read more.
Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca made bold decisions by opting to bench the key left-flank players, Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao.
New Rossoneri acquisition, English striker Tammy Abraham, who joined on an expensive loan from AS Roma, also started on the bench.
Nevertheless, the home team began more strongly, maintaining prolonged possession as they sought to exploit gaps in the guests’ somewhat fragile defense.
However, it was the Rossoneri who struck first in the ninth minute, taking a temporary lead from a corner kick.
New signing Strahinja Pavlovic capitalized on a corner delivered by Christian Pulisic, using his impressive height to his advantage after a suboptimal exit by the opposing goalkeeper, who inadvertently obstructed one of his own teammates.
This lead brought a certain balance to the game, with the visitors gradually gaining more control of possession and slightly raising their attacking intensity.
Following the goal, AC Milan continued to pose a threat, with Pulisic and Noah Okafor both creating chances, though they failed to find a clean shot.
Thus, the first half ended with AC Milan holding a narrow lead.
The second half began with no changes from Paulo Fonseca, while Lazio coach Marco Baroni made substitutions to address the Rossoneri’s defensive weaknesses and restore balance to the match.
However, the second half mirrored the early stages of the game.
Lazio dominated possession, pushing the visiting team deep into their own half.
Despite the evident struggles of AC Milan’s defenders, no tactical adjustments were made to counter Lazio’s explosive runs on the left side, where Emerson Royal and Samuel Chukwueze struggled significantly.
As a result, Lazio scored two goals in quick succession, in the 62nd and 66th minutes.
Argentine striker Valentin Castellanos and Senegalese forward Boulaye Dia both found the net, capitalizing on nearly identical plays orchestrated by left-back Nuno Tavares, who was one of the standout performers of the match.
Only after Lazio had completely turned the game around did coach Fonseca decide to make substitutions.
More than seventy minutes into the match, Theo Hernandez, Yunus Musah, Rafael Leao, and Tammy Abraham were all brought on simultaneously.
The newcomers made an immediate impact, with Leao controlling the ball and swiftly finding the net to equalize within seconds of his introduction.
The final minutes of the match were marked by high intensity from both teams, each pushing for a win but unable to capitalize on their chances.
The match ended in a draw, with AC Milan taking the lead through Pavlovic in the first half, only for Lazio to turn the tide in the second half with goals from Castellanos and Dia. Fonseca’s late substitutions quickly brought the equalizer, and in the closing moments, both Zaccagni and Abraham came close to scoring.
