Inter celebrates in the end. The Milan falls at the Olimpico against Lazio (1-0) and wastes the opportunity to truly reopen the championship. The Rossoneri remain at -8 from the top with nine matchdays remaining and the feeling is that this could have been the sliding door of the season. The standings read: Inter 68, Milan 60, Napoli 59. The race for the title gets more complicated. And a lot.
In the Champions League zone, however, the Fabregas' Como scores the coup, that Roma comes back (2-1) in the direct clash, they reclaimed fourth place alone and also overtook Spalletti's Juventus. A significant overtaking, which changes the balance of power in the European race.
In the other races of the day De Rossi's Genoa accelerates, who won 2-0 in Verona and see safety ever closer. Pisa's proof of pride, who beat Cagliari 3-1 and kept the race alive. Away victory also for Bologna, who won 1-0 in the Emilian derby against Sassuolo.
Milan-Lazio: Isaksen decides
At the Olimpico, a flash is enough. Gustav Isaksen scores it in the 26th minute, capitalizing on a long throw from Marusic and a mistake from Estupinan before beating Maignan with his left foot. It's the goal that decides a dirty, intense, and at times tense match. And it distances Milan from the top: the Rossoneri are now eight points behind Inter with nine matchdays remaining.
Lazio built their victory primarily in the first half, with aggression and verticality. In the second half, however, Milan dominated the game: they raised their center of gravity, increased the tempo, created chances with Pulisic and Fofana, and even found the equalizer through Athekame, whose handball was ruled out by VAR. Allegri attempted to change the momentum by bringing in fresh players, but the play remained muddled in the final sixteen meters.
A difficult evening for Rafael Leao tooThe Portuguese struggled to make an impact, was substituted, and left the pitch visibly annoyed, refusing the coach's embrace. Allegri immediately tried to defuse the situation post-match: "Leao was a little nervous because he had situations where he could have been served better, there were two possible scoring opportunities and he was angry. These things happen in an important match that everyone wanted to win." Then the analysis of the match: "We knew we were going to have difficulties. In the first half we had to be more organized and not concede a goal like that. We made a lot of technical mistakes and allowed too many counterattacks, more tonight than in the entire championship."
On the other side Maurizio Sarri enjoys a special night, which began with the promise kept to go under the Curva Nord to greet the fans and ended with three very important points: "There was a beautiful climateIt would have been even without the result. I'm pleased to have given the fans the satisfaction of a victory. The team has always been committed, but lately I feel like there's something more, even in terms of character. I won't remember it for the result, but for the feeling the stadium gave me."
Como overturns Roma and takes fourth place
At Sinigaglia, the party is all Como. It ends 2-1 against Roma and it is a very important victory that is worth the direct overtaking and the fourth place alone, also overtaking Juventus: 54 points for the Como team, 53 for the Bianconeri, 51 for the Giallorossi who slip to sixth place.
Roma took the lead with a Malen's penalty after a mistake in Como's build-up, but in the second half the inertia changed. Douvikas scores the 1-1 taking advantage of a defensive lapse, then comes the episode that marks the match: the second yellow for Wesley for a tackle on Diao. A decision that Gasperini will strongly contest after the match. With the extra man, Fabregas' team upped the pace and finds the decisive goal with Diego Carlos, who did well to tap the ball into the net after a poor save from Svilar. Roma felt the blow and were unable to recover.
But it is at the final whistle that the tension rises further. Fabregas accuses Gasperini of missing a greeting Final: “I found it unsportsmanlike. Even when I'm angry or feel like I've been wronged, I always shake hands at the end of a game. It's a matter of respect. When I see a colleague leave without saying goodbye, it makes me sad.”
Gasperini replies In no uncertain terms: "Wesley doesn't commit a foul, it's clear. It's not the first time Como has had these kinds of situations, and they're even a bit deliberate. I don't respect their behavior, on the pitch or on the bench."
