AC Milan aim to claim top spot in Serie A when they welcome Lazio to San Siro on Saturday night. The Rossoneri arrive on a wave of confidence following last week’s derby triumph, while their capital-city rivals regained momentum with a win over Lecce in their most recent outing.
Milan relied on inspired goalkeeping and a bit of fortune to secure a 1-0 victory in this season’s first Derby della Madonnina, with Christian Pulisic scoring the decisive second-half goal. While Pulisic finished from close range, it was captain Mike Maignan who stole the spotlight, making several crucial saves, including a penalty stop against former Milan man Hakan Calhanoglu.
That win lifted Massimiliano Allegri’s side above Inter in the standings, just two points behind surprise leaders Roma, and marked Milan’s fourth derby win in six meetings since last season.
The victory also extended Milan’s unbeaten run to 12 games, reinforcing their Scudetto credentials. The team has kept clean sheets in half of their opening 12 league matches, with only one defeat so far, a record matched only by big-spending Como. A win on Saturday would see Milan top the table ahead of Roma versus Napoli and Inter’s trip to Pisa, but they face a Lazio side that is steadily improving.
Lazio’s only loss since late September came against Inter earlier this month at San Siro, with the team bouncing back last week with a 2-0 victory over Lecce. Tijjani Noslin netted his first Serie A goal in over a year to secure all three points, moving the Biancocelesti up to eighth in the table while registering their fifth clean sheet in six matches. Despite this form, Lazio have struggled to score on the road, going nearly 300 minutes without a goal since captain Mattia Zaccagni’s strike against Genoa two months ago.
With a transfer ban and several injuries limiting his options, veteran coach Maurizio Sarri has relied on his experience to manage the squad effectively. This match also continues the long-running tactical duel between Sarri and Allegri, who first faced each other over 22 years ago in Serie C2. In the 19 encounters since, Allegri has the upper hand with 11 wins to Sarri’s four.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Set to clash again in the Coppa Italia just five days later, both AC Milan and Lazio are expected to field their strongest available lineups on Saturday evening, though changes could follow for next Thursday’s encounter.
Milan may be forced into at least one tweak to their derby-winning side, with Christian Pulisic, who has already scored 16 goals for the club this year, a significant fitness doubt.
While Allegri has not completely ruled out the American forward, he will likely join Santiago Gimenez on the sidelines. This would leave Rafael Leao and Christopher Nkunku to lead the attack in Milan’s familiar 3-5-2 formation.
The hosts are also without young full-back Zachary Athekame, but Lazio face an even longer list of absentees. Sarri remains without Samuel Gigot, Matteo Cancellieri, and Nicolo Rovella, while Danilo Cataldi and Taty Castellanos are doubts. Last season’s top scorer, Castellanos, has just returned to full training following a seven-week injury layoff and is unlikely to feature.
Senegalese striker Boulaye Dia is expected to fill in up front, despite not scoring since stepping in for Castellanos. Veteran Pedro, now 38, continues to be a threat from the bench, having appeared as a substitute ten times this season, and is set to occupy a place among the replacements.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Leao, Nkunku
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Vecino, Basic; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni
EXPERT PREDICTION
AC Milan 2-1 Lazio
