AC Milan secured a 2-0 win over Lazio on Saturday, with goals from Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor sealing the three points at San Siro.
The Rossoneri were looking for a third consecutive Serie A win this weekend after seeing off Verona and Cagliari in our previous two meetings, and it was a cagey affair in the opening half.
READ MORE: Five key talking points as Milan secure comeback win vs Cagliari
However, after spells of sustained pressure and having created openings after the break, goals from Pulisic and Okafor split the two sides, with Rafael Leao influential in providing assists for the pair.
It moves Milan clear at the top of the Serie A table temporarily, and it hopefully builds confidence heading into our Champions League encounter with Borussia Dortmund in midweek.
AC Milan player ratings vs Lazio:
Mike Maignan, 6.5 – Organised the backline well and alert when called upon, but a relatively straight-forward evening for the Frenchman on his return to the starting line-up.
Davide Calabria, 6 – Tough return for the Milan captain as he had his hands full dealing with Zaccagni at times, but did his job well and helped keep things tight at the back to help earn the clean sheet.
Simon Kjaer, 6 – Made a shaky start and Maignan let him know about it, but he showed good character to step up a level after that and was solid.
Fikayo Tomori, 6.5 – A strong defensive performance as he was switched on throughout to lead the defensive effort. Even offered a threat in the opposite box at times but couldn’t make the most of his opportunities.
Theo Hernandez, 6 – Decent shift without ever really going through the gears. Defended well, got forward to offer width and support, but not as decisive as he can be.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 6 – Hopefully hasn’t picked up an injury that will sideline him having been forced off with an apparent groin issue just before the half hour mark. Put in a decent effort prior to that to add his presence in the midfield battle.
Yacine Adli, 7 – The standing ovation that greeted him as he came off said it all, as he impressed in his first start at San Siro. Composed and added quality in possession, he did well in that deeper role again as he looks to cement his place in the side, particularly while Krunic is still sidelined.
Tijjani Reijnders, 6.5 – An energetic presence in the heart of the team as he impacts both phases of the game week in and week out. Will be frustrated he couldn’t break his Milan duck and get on the scoresheet as he had chances, but continues to play a vital role regardless.
Christian Pulisic, 7 – Excellent performance as he was a constant threat down that right side as he looked to unlock the Lazio defence. Eventually, it turned out he was the one to find the breakthrough as he got into a great position to finish off the move, and it’s another decisive effort from the USA international.
Olivier Giroud, 5.5 – Continues to battle away to give us a focal point up top, but it’s not quite coming together for him at the moment. Whether that’s the service into him or his link up play, hopefully turns around for him and there’s an important goal not too far away.
Rafael Leao, 7 – Difficult first half as Lazio looked to nullify his threat as best as possible. However, came alive in the second half and showed his class with two brilliant assists. His quality ultimately found the breakthroughs, as he made it easy for Pulisic and Okafor to secure the victory.
Substitutes:
Yunus Musah, 6.5 – Another promising effort as his physicality, combative style and energy all make him a crucial presence in midfield.
Noah Okafor, 6.5 – Goals in consecutive games, it’s a significant positive to have him finding some consistency in front of goal. He got into another good position to pounce and wrap up the win.
Tommaso Pobega, 6 – Another energetic and tenacious effort in the latter stages to help us secure the win and continue to control the midfield tempo and battle.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6 – Continues to play an important part as with Calabria not quite ready to complete 90 minutes, the stalwart came in and filled the void with minimal fuss.
Samuel Chukwueze, N/A