Calhanoglu takes a shot from outside the Lazio area but a defender gets his chest to it and makes the required block.
90' +2
Calhanoglu fires a trademark shot from incredible distance but Strakosha makes the catch – not without difficulty however. The Albanian goalie made the stop right on his line and only after making a strong leap.
90'
The referee has indicated there will be four minutes of additional time to be played at the end of this match.
89'
Luis Alberto has possession but his advances are stopped by the positioning of Romagnoli whose foot took the ball away from the creative Spanish attacker. A miscommunication with Cutrone allowed Lazio to reprise the attack, but the final effort was poor and Milan escape once again.
86'
STAT: Milan and Lazio have not shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw since 2011.
83'
S. Lulić enters the game and replaces C. Immobile.
André Silva enters the game and replaces N. Kalinić.
Lazio’s third switch of the evening is a straight swap, as Ciro Immobile is taken off for Senad Lulic.
Gennaro Gattuso’s final substitution is also a straight swap of forwards, with Andre Silva replacing the ineffective Nikola Kalinic.
81'
Donnarumma keeps the score level with a diving catch on a Milinkovic-Savic effort that was deflected in flight. The Milan keeper has been in top form tonight, saving his side on a number of occasions from conceding.
78'
Play has stopped at the San Siro as former Juventus centre-back Martin Caceres is on the floor receiving treatment for a shoulder injury which was sustained after a physical duel with Patrick Cutrone. The defender should be okay to continue, as he is already waving to the referee for permission to return to the field.
76'
Nani enters the game and replaces M. Parolo.
Lazio’s second substitution sees captain Marco Parolo leave the pitch to be replaced by Nani in a positive, attacking change.
75'
CALHANOGLU MISSES THE OPEN NET. Suso crosses the ball into Cutrone who directs his header on goal, forcing a brilliant save from Strakosha. With the keeper out of position, the ball falls to Kalinic who only has to side-foot a shot into the net, but the on-loan striker fires it over from six yards. It really should have been 1-0 to the Rossoneri.
Minute
Description
73'
Kalinic leads a rare Milan foray forward before laying it to Cutrone who promptly switches play to the right wing for Suso. The Spaniard does well to take a controlling touch but his curling effort is wayward and never in danger of troubling Strakosha.
71'
P. Cutrone enters the game and replaces G. Bonaventura.
Patrick Cutrone enters the fray in place of Giacomo Bonaventura which almost certainly indicates Gattuso’s intention to play with two strikers up front.
69'
HOW HAVE LAZIO NOT SCORED!? Luis Alberto gets in a fantastic position in the Milan penalty area but attempts to square the ball to Immobile instead of shooting on target and Bonucci takes up a good position to clear the danger. The ensuing corner is taken with a pass which eventually ends with another Immobile shot aimed directly at Donnarumma.
66'
Basta rounds Calhanoglu in attack and puts the ball in the area but Milan cannot clear the danger. A couple of Lazio players manage to get shots off but a red and black shirt manages to block each and every attempt. Milinkovic-Savic attempts to recycle the ball to the back post but his pass is hit with too much power and Donnarumma will take a goal kick.
63'
Luis Alberto enters the game and replaces Felipe Anderson.
Simone Inzaghi responds to Gattuso’s change with one of his own as Felipe Anderson makes way for Luis Alberto who will support Ciro Immobile in attack.
62'
Borini plays the ball into Suso just outside the penalty area but the left-footed shot is kept on the ground and not made difficult for Strakosha who uses his time to make the save. At the other end a cross is sent in from Jordan Lukaku to Ciro Immobile but the Italian forward’s header from six yards is saved quickly by Donnarumma who dropped to the floor to make the parry .
60'
Lucas Biglia takes a touch to set himself before firing a shot high over Strakosha’s crossbar. There were no defenders closing down the former Lazio midfielder but the Argentine’s effort was still poor.
57'
H. Çalhanoğlu enters the game and replaces M. Locatelli.
Gennaro Gattuso’s first substitution of the evening is an attacking one, as Hakan Calhanoglu replaces Milan youth product Manuel Locatelli. The Turkish attacking player is greeted with a warm reception after stringing together a number of good performances.
56'
Lazio steam forward with Felipe Anderson on a counter but Abate shows his pace as the Italian full-back got back in time to make a dispossessing challenge and stifle the attack. That was another close chance for away side as the match seems to be getting more and more stretched. Lazio’s latest effort ends with a Milinkovic-Savic header that was directed wide of Donnarumma’s post.
54'
Lazio once again have the ball in Milan’s half, passing it around midfield trying to shuffle the compact Milan defence and open up space for the incisive pass. Kessie gets a leg in and sends the play the other way but Manuel Locatelli gets flagged for a handball inside the Biancoceleste penalty area.
51'
Suso sends it long for Locatelli but Basta is quickly over to shield the ball out of play. His throw is taken quickly but Lazio’s first pass after the resumption of play is misplaced and Milan win possession back quickly.
48'
Immobile penetrates the Milan back line and gets the ball under his control the referee quickly blows play dead as Immobile was a half-step ahead of Bonucci and thus in an offside position.
46'
Lazio get the second period of play underway!
45'
The referee does not give any added minutes at the end of the first-half, on the stroke of 45’ he blows his whistle to signal the interval.
44'
Milinkovic-Savic cuts inside and tries to curl an effort into the corner of the goal with his left foot, but the Serbian does not get the bend on the ball and Donnarumma catches the effort while rooted to his spot in net.
42'
Felipe Anderson receives the ball in a central area and lays it off for Basta who was rushing towards Donnarumma’ s goal, but a last-ditch challenge by Romagnoli clears the ball for yet another Lazio corner which will be hit by Felipe Anderson. The Brazilian forward puts in an out-swinger but the goalkeeper is resolute and punches with incredible distance.
39'
After some time Milan have possession in Lazio’s half of the field, but Kessie wastes the opportunity to cause the away side some trouble, as he is unable to control the bouncing pass from Abate and the Ivory Coast international heads the ball out for a goal-kick.
37'
Immobile sees an opening in front of him and cracks a shot which is hit with pace and power, but directly at the palms of Donnarumma in the Milan goal. The keeper initially parries the strike, but is able to quickly gather the loose ball.
34'
Lucas switches play to the left and Anderson just does enough to keep the ball in play but his cross is hurried and poor, with Jordan Lukaku unable to do anything with it aside from lose possession. Milan once again hoof it long and the ball immediately returns into the Milan area with a Lazio corner which Parolo skews just wide.
30'
STAT: The last time the visitoing team won this fixture was 2015, when Milan beat Lazio 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.
27'
Ş. Radu gets yellow.
The referee brandishes his second yellow card of the day, this time he shows it to Stefan Radu whose two-footed, studs-up challenge was rightly deemed dangerous play. Milan have a free-kick but promptly waste it as Suso’s chip into the area rolls too far for an attacker and Strakosha can clear with a goal-kick.
25'
Suso drives the set piece to the back of the 18-yard box but Kessie is unable to get the ball out from under his feet and Strakosha puts the ball back in play to Dusan Basta.
23'
Brilliant from Bonaventura whose body feints and step-overs give him enough room to put a cross in. The initial opportunity is cleared but Suso regains possession before being fouled and winning a free-kick just outside the area.
21'
F. Borini gets yellow.
The first yellow card of the evening is given to Fabio Borini after a late diving challenge on Luiz Felipe following a turnover in possession. It was a rash tackle, certainly deserving of a yellow.
20'
Milinkovic-Savic loses possession in the Milan midfield after a heavy challenge and Kessie fires the ball upfield for Kalinic, but Felipe gets his head in the way and dispels any potential danger. The header jump-starts a counter-attack going the other way, but Immobile fires wide after doing very well to get into a shooting position.
16'
Borini cuts across and intercepts a pass originally intended for Anderson on the left. The former Sunderland winger is playing an unfamiliar role at left-back this evening, and it will be interesting to see how well the striker does defensively on his weaker side.
14'
Milan are unable to keep the ball in their attack and Kalinic is not receiving any service from the wide areas. Any time Lazio turn over possession, they force Milan into a trap and win the ball back. Abate is getting visibly frustrated as Lukaku and Anderson keep exploiting the right-hand side and Gattuso is also on the touchline gesticulating and moving around his side.
12'
Jordan Lukaku performs a couple of step-overs as he gets by Abate in the Milan box but the Rossoneri right-back slides in with a perfectly-timed challenge to put the ball out for a corner. The ball bounces around in the area before coming back to Anderson on the right. The Brazilian feeds Luiz Felipe but the defender’s strike on goal was weak and Donnarumma smothers the chance.
10'
Felipe Anderson drifts past two Milan defenders before switching the play excellently to Basta on the left-hand side. The cross is put in well but only Bonucci is there to greet the whipped-in ball and the home side clear with confidence. Lazio have certainly been dictating play in the early minutes of the match but there have not yet been any clear-cut chances.
8'
Lazio are called for their first foul as Kalinic was brought down from behind by Luiz Felipe inside the Milan half.
5'
Anderson lifts the free-kick into the penalty area but a Milan defender gets a head on the cross and flips it back to the grateful grasp of Donnarumma.
3'
Jordan Lukaku drives down the flank but Abate puts in a well-timed challenge and the ball goes out for a Lazio throw-in. Possession is being kept in the Milan half before Caceres is brought down in front of the Milan penalty area.
1'
The referee blows his whistle and Milan get the match underway attacking from left to right.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of the Coppa Italia semi-final fixture between Milan and Lazio.
This is the second time these two sides have met in the last four days, and Gennaro Gattuso will be hoping that today’s outcome is a repeat of Sunday’s 2-1 victory. A Giacomo Bonaventura goal just before half-time ultimately decided the fixture that was level due to goals from Patrick Cutrone and Montenegro international Adam Marusic. The score was an accurate reflection of the tight nature of the match, and hopefully they provide another enthralling encounter tonight.
The win on Sunday was Milan’s fifth match unbeaten since a defeat to Atalanta at the end of last calendar year – a run which began with a win over rivals Inter in the previous round of the Coppa Italia. Since that dramatic extra-time winner from Cutrone, Milan have accumulated 10 out of a possible 12 points in the league and risen to seventh place in the Serie A.
Despite the fantastic form, Milan have been unable to win convincingly, with their last four wins decided by a single goal. Andre Silva has been desperately out of form, having contributed nothing in over 500 minutes of play in the Serie A this season. The Rossoneri have the fewest goals scored in the top ten of the league, as well as the worst goal difference.
This is in stark contrast to today’s visiting side – Lazio. The Biancoceleste own one of Europe’s top strike rates averaging over two goals per game in domestic league action. Ciro Immobile’s 20 goals have catapulted Simone Inzaghi’s squad to third place behind only Napoli and Juventus. Prior to the defeat to Milan on the weekend, Lazio had not lost in eight matches, a run dating back to December 2017.
The team news has just been confirmed so let's start with the home side!
Milan substitutes: Antonio Donnarumma, Alessandro Guarnone, Luca Antonelli, Raoul Bellanova, Davide Calabria, Mateo Musacchio, Cristian Zapata, Hakan Calhanoglu, Jose Mauri, Riccardo Montolivo, Patrick Cutrone, Andre Silva.
Milan Starting XI (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Fabio Borini, Alessio Romagnoli, Leonardo Bonucci, Ignazio Abate; Manuel Locatelli, Lucas Biglia, Franck Yannick Kessie; Giacomo Bonaventura, Nikola Kalinic, Suso.
Lazio Starting XI (3-5-2): Thomas Strakosha; Martin Caceres, Luiz Felipe, Stefan Radu; Dusan Basta, Marco Parolo, Lucas Leiva, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Jordan Lukaku; Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile.
Lazio Substitutes: Patric, Nani, Wallace, Bastos, Luis Alberto, Senad Lulic, Felipe Caicedo, Bruno Jordao, Adam Marusic, Guido Guerrieri, Ivan Vargic, Alessandro Murgia.
Milan make four changes from the side that beat Lazio 2-1 on Sunday. Gianluigi Donnarumma keeps his place in goal and will be protected by a changed back four. Luca Antonelli and Davide Calabria drop out of the side in favour of Fabio Borini and Ignazio Abate who will play on either side of returning centre backs Alessio Romagnoli and Leonardo Bonucci. Hakan Calhanoglu will also start from the bench with Gattuso opting to play Locatelli in a midfield three along with Lucas Biglia and Yannick Kessie who keep their places. In attack, Bonaventura and Suso will play either side of Nikola Kalinic instead of young striker Patrick Cutrone.
Simone Inzaghi also makes a number of alterations from the side that experienced their first defeat in eight matches last weekend. Strakosha remains the favoured goalkeeper but Bastos and De Vrij are replaced with Martin Caceres and Luiz Felipe while Radu makes up the numbers at the back. Marusic and Lulic on the wings are dropped for Dusan Basta and Jordan Lukaku, but the midfield trio of Parolo, Leiva and Milinkovic-Savic remain the same. In attack, Luis Alberto and Felipe Caicedo are both second choice, with the manager preferring a duo of Felipe Anderson and the in-form Ciro Immobile.
HALF-TIME: Milan 0-0 Lazio.
There are a host of attacking players on offer on both sets of benches, with in-form Patrick Cutrone and Andre Silva available to the Rossoneri, and Luis Albert and Nani ready to enter the fray for Simone Inzaghi’s team. Lazio’s supporters should be the happier of the two sides of the supporters as they have been completely untroubled by Suso, Kalinic and Bonaventura. If Gattuso is to win the first of their two Coppa Italia encounters, with Lazio, his half-time adjustments must be perfect.
The first-half has been an occasion in which neither side has wanted to concede. Lazio have dictated much of the forward action, but Milan have been able to resist the Biancoceleste waves with resolute and compact defending. Felipe Anderson and Ciro Immobile are taking up great attacking positions, but their final efforts have been well short of the requisite quality necessary to beat Donnarumma. With another leg still in this contest, perhaps a draw will suite both managers.
Next up for Milan is a trip to Udine to face ninth place Udinese who can jump Milan with a victory on Sunday. As for Lazio, they will return home to play 15th place Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico.
It was a tight and cagey affair which started with total Lazio domination. Milan managed to repel the away side’s constant waves of attack and denied the high-flying Lazio attack the goal that they deserved on the balance of play. With away goals counting in this stage of the competition, Gennaro Gattuso organized his side well and the team were a great reflection of the managers passion and fight. Simone Inzaghi should be disappointed that his side were unable to leave Milan with any goals, but they have managed to keep themselves in the tie, with the second leg to be played in the Stadio Olimpico at the end of February.
That is all for our live coverage of the Coppa Italia fixture between Milan and Lazio from the San Siro. We hope you enjoyed the match and we hope to see you all again soon.
Commentary
More…