Change in approach and a training ground goal: Tactical analysis of AC Milan 1-0 Lazio

AC Milan moved back top of the Serie A table as they beat Lazio 1-0 on Saturday night, before Napoli won away against Roma.

Just like the win against Inter in the round prior, Milan had to keep out some early pressure from the away side, with Mike Maignan making a brilliant save early on to deny Mario Gila. The Rossoneri grew into the game, and took the lead earlier in the second half through Rafael Leao.

In the dying moments there was some controversy as a penalty appeal from Lazio for handball went to a VAR review, but the referee ended up giving a foul against the visiting side. In the end, Milan hung on for a 1-0 victory that moves them top again.

A habit is developing of winning the big games by a nose in typical Massimiliano Allegri ‘corto muso’ fashion. Bologna, Napoli, Roma, Inter and now Lazio were all one-goal victories, and Rohit Rajeev has analysed the latest.

A more aggressive approach

Massimiliano Allegri opted to make just one change to the starting line-up that won the derby on Sunday night, and it was a forced one. Christian Pulisic missed out due to a bit of muscle fatigue, and his place in the front two was taken by Christopher Nkunku.

Milan pressed Lazio unusually high, with Allegri pushing six players into Lazio’s defensive third. But why did they do this?

Opta’s data explains it: Lazio under Sarri are a passive mid-block team, avoiding aggressive pressing to limit exposure to counters. They also concede very few fast counter-attacks, meaning Milan couldn’t simply sit deep and wait to break.

So Allegri’s approach was logical: press high, win the ball early, and force Lazio into uncomfortable zones. If Milan wanted space, they had to create it by squeezing Sarri’s side, not by inviting pressure.

As we can see, Milan pushed up with a high press and an aggressive defensive line, while Lazio sat deep, trying to absorb the pressure.

How Milan broke Lazio’s press

Lazio set up in a 4-4-2 and pressed through the central channels, with Dia and Isaksen stepping up to pressure Milan’s centre-backs.

Milan used Maignan as a third centre-back, immediately outnumbering Lazio’s two forwards. That forced Guendouzi to step up and compensate, but Rabiot adjusted his angle perfectly, receiving the ball and combining with Bartesaghi for a quick one-two.

From there Milan launched a fast break, with Leao bursting in behind the Lazio defence, a move that eventually ended with Saelemaekers firing a weak shot.

Allegri’s relationist principles were on full display here, with Modric, Rabiot and Fofana fluidly rotating positions in the buildup to unsettle Lazio’s structure.

How the goal came

In the second half, Milan unlocked Lazio with a clean third-man combination. Tomori burst forward, linked with Fofana and Saelemaekers, but his final cross was cleared by the Lazio defence.

A second bite of the cherry yielded the desired results, as this time the English centre-back laid it on a plate. After the game, there was unanimous confirmation that this was very much something worked on at Milanello.

Leao stated after the game: “The goal-scoring move? We often practice it in training with Tomori. It worked beautifully, and Allegri will have watched it with a smile as Rafa finally made the movement that a natural No.9 would.

Il gol di Leão in #MilanLazio 🏄‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Dw8m8EYywv

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) November 30, 2025

As expected, Milan sat back after scoring, choosing to absorb Lazio’s pressure while Sarri’s side pushed higher up the pitch in search of an equaliser.

Lazio committed five men forward in attack, overloading Milan’s right side. With Zaccagni drifting inside and Bašić plus Pellegrini attacking aggressively down the left, Lazio repeatedly tried to stretch Milan’s defensive shape.

Dead ball contrast

A clear contrast in set-piece preparation was visible. Milan defend with a deeper line, giving the opposition more room but prioritising blocking shots and headers.

Lazio, meanwhile, push a higher line, aiming to catch attackers offside and create space for Provedel to step out and claim.

The data

Since Lazio concede very few counter-attacks, Milan had to adapt. Instead of relying on transitions, they focused on passing manoeuvres, creating space through circulation, rotations, and movement rather than pure speed in transition.

Lazio’s press barely registers. They win very few balls high up the pitch, making it easier for Milan to build patiently and control the game.

Bartesaghi didn’t just shine, he ran the show. Voted Player of the Match by Milan fans, and deservedly so, after covering the most distance of any Rossoneri player against Lazio.