Final!!!!

Simon Basten
Apr 24, 2024
3 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Season 2018-19

Coppa Italia, Semifinal, Second Leg

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

Milan Lazio 0-1

A Correa goal in the second half puts Lazio in the Coppa Italia final

In Coppa Italia, the Biancocelesti had beaten Novara 4-1 in the round of 32, and Inter away on penalties in the quarter final. They had played the first semi-final leg at home against Milan and had drawn 0-0. A Coppa Italia win was probably the only way the Biancocelesti could play in Europe the following year.

The match

The previous season Lazio and Milan had faced each other in the semi-finals. Both games ended goalless and the Rossoneri eventually won on penalties. After another goalless draw in the first leg, the Biancocelesti were looking to score in order to reach the final.

Just like the other games this one too was rather blocked. The bad news for the Lazio fans was the fact that after just 17 minutes Simone Inzaghi was forced to substitute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic with Marco Parolo.

The Biancocelesti did try to score but they almost always made a mistake at the last moment, hence lots of potential chances but no concrete ones. In the 26th minute a Ciro Immobile shot was easily saved by Pepe Reina. In the 28th minute Davide Calabria tried a shot from outside the box forcing Thomas Strakosha to parry into corner. In the 43rd minute Suso had a chance from the edge of the penalty area but his shot went wide.

In injury time there was a freekick for Lazio on the right. Luis Alberto crossed, Bastos’ first attempt was walled, the ball came back to him but from a favourable position he kicked it wide. Immediately after another chance for the Biancocelesti. Joaquin Correa one-twoed with Immobile and tried a shot from an angled position but Reina saved.

Lazio seemed to have found the way to put Milan in difficulty and in the 51st minute Lucas Leiva from outside the box tried his luck, greaĺt save from Reina. On the subsequent corner, again Bastos had a chance but his header went wide. In the 55th minute Correa tried a curling shot, Reina again parried. Three minutes later the Biancocelesti went on the counter attack. Immobile passed to Correa who from a difficult angle made it 1-0. A deserved lead.

Milan tried a comeback, they needed two goals now, but Lazio remained in control and in the 83rd minute Immobile had a chance to make it two but from the centre of the box his volley, following a Parolo pass, went over the crossbar. In the 90th minute again Immobile with a chance but his shot was saved into corner by Reina.

Lazio won and were in the final.

Who played for Milan

Reina, Musacchio, Caldara (65' Cutrone), Romagnoli, Calabria (40' Conti), Kessie, Bakayoko, Laxalt, Suso, Piatek, Castillejo (57' Calhanoglu)

Substitutes: Donnarumma G., Donnarumma A., Abate, Rodriguez, Zapata, Bertolacci, Biglia, Borini, Paquetà

Manager: Gattuso

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Bastos, Romulo, Milinkovic-Savic (15’ Parolo), Leiva, Luis Alberto (85’ Badelj), Lulic, Correa (74’ Caicedo), Immobile