Diego Moreira emerged from the bench to net twice in two minutes as Milan recovered from a 2-0 deficit to secure a 2-2 draw against Lazio. The Rossoneri toiled during the opening period, when Matteo Cancellieri and Tijjani Noslin gave the hosts a commanding lead.
Lazio had begun their Serie A season with three straight wins against Bologna, Genoa, and Udinese, even though they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Mantova. Milan, in contrast, remained without Matteo Gabbia, while Adrien Rabiot shifted into midfield instead of Yunus Musah after playing as a trequartista in the 1-1 stalemate with Juventus.
Lazio and Milan establish early rhythm
Lazio looked sharper from the outset at the Stadio Olimpico, where the ongoing boycott of home fixtures meant Milan supporters filled more seats than the home crowd. Christos Mandas had to push Samuel Chukwueze’s header off the line after a Luka Modric corner, while Matteo Cancellieri went to ground under pressure from Pervis Estupinan inside the box.
Mattia Zaccagni then slipped past Chukwueze and forced Mike Maignan into a tough one-handed stop from a tight angle. Noslin also went close when he connected with a Romano Floriani Mussolini cross, but his shot went directly at the Milan goalkeeper.
The sustained pressure finally led to the opening goal. Nuno Tavares charged through the middle before picking out Zaccagni on the left, and his low delivery across the box let Cancellieri slide in at the far post as Estupinan was left exposed.
Lazio doubles the lead before Milan hits back
Zaccagni was involved again when a slick passing sequence and Davide Frattesi’s first-time lay-off played him through. Maignan rushed off his line and made a courageous point-blank save with his face to deny him.
Frattesi almost scored himself after profiting from a lucky deflection off Modric, but his attempt grazed the post. Pavlovic also headed a Chukwueze cross over the bar as Milan found it hard to handle Lazio’s attacking waves.
The hosts increased their advantage in chaotic style. Kenneth Taylor swept the ball in from the left, and it hit the underside of the crossbar before a mix of Koni De Winter’s attempted clearance and Noslin’s head forced it over the line from close range.
Milan had little to cheer about before the break, even though a deflected Ruben Loftus-Cheek shot went wide and Mario Gila headed the ensuing corner straight at Mandas. Three substitutions were made at half-time, including the arrival of Christian Pulisic for his season debut.
Diego Moreira seals Milan’s comeback
Milan came out for the second half with more intensity. Pavlovic headed straight at Mandas after a fine run from Diego Moreira, while the Lazio goalkeeper then made another solid save to deny Pulisic’s low attempt at the near post.
The changes quickly bore fruit. Pulisic lifted a cross from the right towards Moreira, who kept his volley on target from a tricky angle at the far post to claim his first Serie A goal.
Just 120 seconds later, Moreira scored again. Yunus Musah won the ball back in midfield and played it forward, with Rabiot teeing it up for Moreira to drill a first-time shot from the edge of the box and pull Milan level at 2-2.
Lazio still had chances to retake the lead, with Zaccagni testing Maignan from distance. Cisse curled a solo effort wide of the far post, while Goncalo Ramos just failed to reach an Omari Hutchinson cross as the points were shared in the end.