Correa, Immobile crush the Rossoneri
Lazio swept Milan aside 3-0 with a Joaquin Correa brace and Ciro Immobile strike, as the Rossoneri drop down to joint third place with Napoli and Juventus.
This was a crucial head-to-head clash for Champions League places, both teams coming off costly midweek defeats. The Rossoneri needed a win to avoid losing second place to Atalanta. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was out injured, but Ismael Bennacer and Theo Hernandez returned, with Mario Mandzukic getting his first start in the Milan jersey. Simone Inzaghi returned to the touchline after several weeks out with COVID, but Felipe Caicedo, Gonzalo Escalante and Luiz Felipe missed out
It took 20 seconds for the first shot on goal, Pepe Reina parrying the Hakan Calhanoglu strike with one hand.
However, moments later Lazio took the lead with just 77 seconds on the clock. Joaquin Correa ran onto a flicked Ciro Immobile through ball, dribbled around Gianluigi Donnarumma and deposited into the empty net.
The Rossoneri were badly shaken and almost conceded another when Donnarumma made a desperate reaction save on Correa from close range after a free kick was not cleared.
Milan got back on their feet following the early shock, Calhanoglu forcing another one-handed save from Reina, but he hesitated and should’ve taken the chance earlier.
Alexis Saelemaekers provided the assist there and went for goal himself soon after, a curler smothered from the edge of the area.
Theo Hernandez blasted over the bar, but just as Milan were pushing for an equaliser, Manuel Lazzari sprinted away on a through ball and beat Donnarumma one-on-one. However, VAR confirmed Lazzari was inches offside in the line with Simon Kjaer.
Milan threatened an equaliser in first half stoppages, as Calhanoglu and Saelemaekers flicked on passes for Mandzukic’s volley, well saved by Reina.
The second half started with controversy, because Calhanoglu seemed to be fouled by Lucas Leiva to spark a Lazio counterattack, while Correa finalised by shaking off Fikayo Tomori to blast into the near top corner. Daniele Orsato was urged to view it again on VAR, but stuck by his original decision that it was a clean tackle.
Correa nearly completed a hattrick moments later, Donnarumma getting his fingertips to the angled drive and pushing it around the far post.
Calhanoglu’s volley was deflected wide and on the resulting corner Reina captured a Tomori header. However, Lazio could’ve added a third because Ciro Immobile’s lob left Donnarumma stranded only to bounce off the upright of an empty net.
Sandro Tonali’s half-volley whistled just wide, but Immobile did get his goal eventually, given time and space to control a Lazzari pass on the edge of the area and smash right-footed into the far bottom corner.
Franck Kessie nearly got a consolation goal late on, but his header hit the crossbar from a corner.
Napoli beats Torino 2-0 to move into Champions League spots
Napoli moved back into the Champions League places in Serie A after a comfortable 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Torino on Monday.
Two goals in as many minutes from Tiémoué Bakayoko and Victor Osimhen had Napoli firmly in control by halftime. The visitors also hit the post twice, while Torino midfielder Rolando Mandragora was sent off four minutes from time for a second yellow card.
Napoli moved above fifthplaced Juventus on goal difference. The sides are level on points and also have the same head-to-head record, which is the first deciding factor in Serie A.
It is also level on points with third-placed Milan but has an inferior head-to-head record against the Rossoneri, who could move into second spot with a win at Lazio later.
Torino remained above the relegation zone thanks only to a better head-to-head record against 18th-placed Benevento, although it has played a match less than the teams around it.
Napoli got off to a great start when Bakayoko curled a stunning strike into the far bottom corner from 20 yards out.
Torino almost leveled immediately, but Gennaro Gattuso's side doubled its lead less than two minutes later following a rapid counterattack. Osimhen sprinted from just inside his own half and his effort was deflected past Torino goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
Piotr Zieliński hit the inside of the left post shortly before halftime and a trademark Lorenzo Insigne curler came off the inside of the other after the break.