Revenge is sweet

Season 2025-26

Coppa Italia, Round of 16

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Milan 1-0

Revenge is sweet

Thanks to Zaccagni, Lazio avenge the undeserved defeat in Serie A, kicking out Milan from the Coppa Italia.

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

Maurizio Sarri made just one significant change compared to the best team available giving a chance in goal to Christos Mandas for his seasonal debut. Lazio really wanted to go through. Taty Castellanos back in the team after the few minutes in Milan.

Source Lazio Wiki

First half

The game started with a minute’s silence in memory of Nicola Pietrangeli, one of the Italian tennis greats who had recently passed away. Pietrangeli was a Lazio fan and had often trained with the Lazio scudetto team of 1974.

A blocked match, just like the one in Milan, with both teams doing their best defensively hence not many chances. In the 24th minute, Castellanos to Toma Basic who ran towards the Milan box and just outside tried a shot which shaved the post. In the 45th minute, the Croatian took a corner, the ball reached Gustav Isaksen who tried a volley, great save from Mike Maignan.

Second half

In the 51st minute Pervis Estupiñán crossed from the left, great header from Ruben Loftus-Cheek over the crossbar.

Sarri made his first substitutions: Tijani Noslin and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru for Castellanos and Matias Vecino.

In the 60th minute Alexis Saelemaekers tried a shot, comfortably saved by Ivan Provedel. He was then substituted by Christopher Nkunku.

In the 69th minute Adrien Rabiot from the close to the left by-line tried a cross, Loftus-Cheek headed the ball out. In the 71st Samuele Ricci sent a long ball into the box for Estupiñán who manged to cross for Rafael Leão who from a favourable position shot high.

Nuno Tavares at this point came in for Luca Pellegrini. And it was the Portuguese who made the difference. Corner for the Biancocelesti, Nuno crossed for Mattia Zaccagni who coordinated himself and headed into the goal for Lazio’s 1-0. Maignan seemed to react a bit slowly, he perhaps saw the ball too late.

Matteo Cancellieri and Pedro came on for exhausted Isaksen and Zaccagni, Davide Bartesaghi for Estupiñán. In the 85th minute it could have been 2-0 but Maignan this time was alert on a Noslin volley. In the 91st minute great play from Milan which allowed Christian Pulisic to try a shot, Mandas palmed the ball into corner. Adam Marusic also had a chance in the fourth minute of injury time but his shot went over the crossbar.

Great win for Lazio, also cheered on among the fans in the stands by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Stefan Radu.

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini (71’ Nuno Tavares), Guedouzi, Vecino (57’ Dele-Bashiru), Basic, Isaksen (83’ Cancellieri), Castellanos (57’ Noslin), Zaccagni (83’ Pedro)

Substitutes: Provedel, Furlanetto, Patric, Provstgaard, Patric, Lazzari, Belahyane, Dia

Manager: Sarri

Who played for Milan

Maignan, Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic, Saelemaekers (64' Nkunku), Ricci, Jashari (81' Modric), Rabiot, Estupinan (86' Bartesaghi), Loftus-Cheek (81' Pulisic), Leao

Substitutes: Terracciano, Torriani, Gabbia, Odogu, Sala

Manager: Allegri

Referee: Giuda

Goal: 79’ Zaccagni

Booked: Pavlovic (M), De Winter (M)