AC Milan Falls To Lazio 1-2 As Pedro's Late Penalty Heightens Pressure On Manager Sergio Conceicao

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Lazio secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro, with Pedro's penalty in stoppage time intensifying pressure on Milan's manager, Sergio Conceicao. This defeat leaves Milan in ninth place in Serie A, trailing six points behind a European spot after losing three consecutive matches.

Before the match, Milan's ultras staged a protest by leaving their section empty until the 15th minute due to dissatisfaction with the team's performance. They returned just in time to witness Mattia Zaccagni give Lazio the lead. Adam Marusic's initial shot was saved by Milan's captain, Mike Maignan, but Zaccagni capitalised on the rebound during his 150th appearance for Lazio.

The game seemed destined for a draw until a late penalty was awarded to Lazio after Gustav Isaksen was fouled by Maignan. Following a VAR review, Pedro confidently converted from the spot, sending Maignan the wrong way and propelling Lazio to fourth place, eight points behind leaders Napoli.

Milan faced further challenges when Strahinja Pavlovic received a straight red card in the 67th minute for a harsh tackle on Isaksen. Despite this setback, substitute Samuel Chukwueze managed to equalise for Milan with seven minutes left, his header bouncing off the crossbar before finding the net.

Sergio Conceicao initially enjoyed success with Milan, leading them to win the Supercoppa Italiana in January. However, fortunes have shifted dramatically since then. This latest defeat marks their third consecutive loss in Serie A and their eighth of the season. The last time they had more losses after 27 games was during the 2019-20 campaign.

Pavlovic's dismissal added to Milan's woes as they now have one of the highest red card counts in Serie A this season. Only Hellas Verona has received more red cards than Milan. Meanwhile, Lazio celebrated just their second win at San Siro since the 1994-95 season.

Impressive Performance by Lazio

Lazio ended the match with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.85 from their 21 shots on target. Pedro’s decisive goal came at 97 minutes and three seconds, marking it as Lazio’s second-latest goal scored in Serie A over the past two decades.

This result highlights ongoing challenges for AC Milan and raises questions about Conceicao’s ability to turn things around as they continue their struggle for European qualification.