Lazio Edge AC Milan 1-0 As Isaksen Strike Dents Rossoneri's Scudetto Bid

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Lazio dealt AC Milan a major blow in the Serie A title race, edging a 1-0 win at Stadio Olimpico thanks to Gustav Isaksen's precise first-half finish. The result kept Milan eight points behind leaders Inter, wasting a chance to close the gap after Inter dropped points against Atalanta.

The defeat came just one league game after Massimiliano Allegri's Milan side had revived hopes with victory over Inter, yet this setback now places further strain on their Scudetto push. It also ended Milan's long unbeaten away sequence in Serie A for the 2025-26 season.

Milan's response after half-time carried more intent, with Christian Pulisic drawing a sharp save from Edoardo Motta as Lazio dropped deeper. The goalkeeper reacted again immediately to block Youssouf Fofana's close-range header, underlining how often Milan came near without actually finding an equaliser.

Zachary Athekame appeared to rescue a point with a composed strike into the bottom-right corner on 75 minutes, finishing confidently from the edge of the area. However, the celebrations ended quickly when the effort was disallowed, as the substitute was ruled to have handled the ball before scoring.

The visitors kept pressing in the closing stages, but their final touch kept failing them. Luka Modric curled a late attempt over the bar, which proved the closest Milan came in the final minutes as Lazio defended compactly and cleared a stream of deliveries into the penalty area.

Earlier, Milan almost struck first when Strahinja Pavlovic burst through on goal, only for Oliver Provstgaard to make a crucial sliding challenge inside the box. That intervention became even more important once Lazio began to threaten consistently on the counter-attack.

Kenneth Taylor went closest for the hosts before the opener, smashing a powerful effort against the crossbar from outside the area. Just two minutes later, Lazio moved ahead as Isaksen shrugged off Pervis Estupinan, drove into the box, then guided a low shot into the bottom-left corner.

Daniel Maldini then had a clear chance to extend the lead nine minutes before the interval after pouncing on a poor touch from Koni De Winter. Maldini had time to pick a finish, but the shot lacked power and Mike Maignan gathered comfortably, keeping Milan within reach at the break.

That miss eventually forced Lazio to defend their advantage under heavy pressure. Milan finished with 17 attempts at Motta's goal, yet a mix of wasteful finishing, solid defensive structure and one key VAR intervention meant Allegri's players left Rome with nothing from a match they dominated for long spells.

Serie A Lazio vs AC Milan key stats and xG data

The loss in Rome was Milan's first away defeat in Serie A during the 2025-26 campaign, snapping a 14-match unbeaten run on the road in the league. That sequence had included nine victories and five draws, underlining how unusual this setback was for the Rossoneri.

For Lazio, the win continued an impressive run against higher-placed opposition. Maurizio Sarri's side recorded back-to-back victories over teams starting the day above them in the table, the first time they achieved that since a three-match sequence in December 2024, although this latest success required disciplined defending.

Expected goals figures highlighted the contrast between control and efficiency. Lazio generated an xG of 0.41 from seven attempts, hitting the target twice. Milan, by comparison, produced an xG of 1.19 with 17 shots, yet still failed to score against Motta.

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The match leaves Milan with less margin for error in the title race, still eight points behind Inter despite having recently beaten the leaders. Lazio, meanwhile, gained confidence from another strong result against a side above them, showing resilience and organisation in a contest where Milan carried more attacking threat.