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Lazio and AC Milan will face off for the second time in five days, this time in the Coppa Italia last-16 and at the Stadio Olimpico.
To say that there were fireworks at San Siro on Saturday night would be an understatement. Rafael Leao got the only goal as Milan won 1-0 to move back top, but the late penalty drama has dominated the headlines since, with Lazio feeling they were robbed of a spot kick despite the VAR check.
There was no pre-match press conference from Massimiliano Allegri, but he did speak to Milan TV.
Game date: Thursday, December 4
Kick-off time: 21:00 (CET)
Venue: Stadio Olimpico
Referee: Daniele Doveri (VAR: Pezzuto)
Team news
With no European football to contend with, the Coppa Italia has to be one of the targets for Milan this season, a trophy they haven’t won for over 20 years. However, they will have to take on a side that have won it four times since the 2002-03 campaign when the Rossoneri last won it.
A lot of the players in the squad will feel some desire for revenge after getting all the way to the final last season but losing 1-0 to Bologna after a sub-par performance. That came after a 4-1 derby triumph over two legs in the semis, too.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Christian Pulisic returned to training on Tuesday but is not a guarantee to feature. At best he will make the bench and therefore play a part in the game, but there is also a chance that he is left out.
Zachary Athekame will remain out for a few more weeks yet, and the cup game will be too early for Santiago Gimenez, who is on the path to returning. The Mexican is getting there with his ankle issue, but will not make the trip on Thursday.
The big dilemma that Allegri has is whether to rotate heavily or whether to play the strongest possible side. The issue is that with only 19 outfield players and a couple of those injured, there aren’t a plethora of changes that can be made anyway.
Speaking of the coach, he got sent off for arguing with the referee during all of the penalty (or non-penalty) drama at the end of the game at the weekend, but his ban applies for the league and so he will be in the dugout.
It seems that Allegri will choose the rotation route, even if a few stars will play.
Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlovic will all keep their spots in the backline after another clean sheet at the weekend. However, Matteo Gabbia will be given a well-earned rest, allowing Koni De Winter to start.
In midfield, only Alexis Saelemaekers and Adrien Rabiot remain. Pervis Estupinan will be given another chance on the left flank, whilst it seems that summer signings Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari will come into midfield for Youssouf Fofana and Luka Modric.
Leading the line, Rafael Leao will remain, but he will be partnered by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Predicted Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Ricci, Jashari, Rabiot, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Leao.
Bench: Terracciano, Pittarella, Gabbia, Odogu, Bartesaghi, Modric, Sala, Nkunku, Pulisic.
Injuries & suspensions: Athekame, Gimenez.
The opponents
In our preview for the Serie A contest a few days ago we recapped what was a bit of a crazy summer for Lazio – with a transfer ban and uncertainty about Maurizio Sarri’s position – and a rocky start to the season that they have since steadied.
We’d love to be able to bring you some reflections from Sarri on what he thought after his side were beaten 1-0 at the Meazza, but Lazio decided to go down the ‘silenzio stampa’ (not speaking to the media) route after what they perceive to be injustice.
In terms of selection news, the Biancocelesti are still expected to be without Samuel Gigot, Matteo Cancellieri, Nicolo Rovella and Danilo Cataldi. Taty Castellanos has recovered but spent nearly two months out, so will not be at 100% and only made the bench on Saturday.
For Lazio, changes will also be rife, with Maurizio Sarri reportedly considering as many as six differences.
Mandas will replace Provedel between the sticks, whilst Patric is likely to replace Mario Gila. Finally, Nuno Tavares will replace Pellegrini. This means Romagnoli and Marusic will both remain in the starting XI.
The midfield should remain largely the same, with Guendouzi and Vecino remaining. However, Dele-Bashiru is expected to take the place of Basic. Then, Isaksen will be the only remaining forward, it seems.
Taty Castellanos is expected to replace Dia, whilst Tijjani Noslin should replace Zaccagni.
Predicted Lazio XI (4-3-3): Mandas; Marusic, Patric, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Vecino, Dele-Bashiru; Isaksen, Castellanos, Noslin.
Predicted bench: Provedel, Furlanetto, Provstgaard, Hysaj, Pellegrini, Lazzari, Belahyane, Basic, Zaccagni, Pedro, Dia.
Injuries & suspensions: Gigot, Rovella, Cancellieri, Cataldi, Mario Gila.
Head to head
After Saturday’s game, Milan have played against Lazio 193 times in competitive games across their over 125-year history. The record reads 87 wins, 65 draws and 41 defeats in that spell.
Last season saw a quite entertaining draw at the Olimpico in the early league game. Pavlovic got the early opener before Castellanos and Dia quickly turned the game on its head in the second half. Leao came off the bench to net an equaliser, before the cooling break saga ensued.
The most recent Coppa Italia meeting between the two teams was a 4-0 win for Milan (at San Siro) in 2021-22. Olivier Giroud’s brace was sandwiched between goals from Rafael Leao and Franck Kessie.
Prior to that, the Aquile knocked the Diavolo out in the two-legged semi-final of 2018-19, with Joaquin Correa scoring the only goal of the tie in the second leg. That was revenge for what happened in 2017-18, when Milan prevailed 5-4 on penalties at the Olimpico after a goalless 210 minutes of normal time and extra-time.
The last time this was a round of 16 tie was back in 2008: Lazio won it in extra-time at San Siro, with Goran Pandev getting a 93rd-minute tap-in to book their progress after Andriy Shevchenko’s opener (77th minute) and Mauro Zarate’s equaliser rom the spot (87th minute).
Key facts and stats
➤ There have been 91 previous official meetings between the two sides in Rome: 24 Lazio wins
(the most recent a 4–0 victory in the 2022-23 Serie A season), 40 draws (the latest a 0–0 in Serie
A 2024-25) and 27 Milan wins (the most recent a 1–0 success in Serie A 2023-24).
➤ The winners of this tie will face the winners of Bologna–Parma in the quarter-finals.
➤ Of the 91 meetings between the two sides in Rome, 7 have been played in the Coppa Italia:
there have been 3 home wins for Lazio (3–1 in 1997-98 in the first leg of the final, which would
later secure the title for the club from the capital); 3–1 in 1998-99, round of 16; 4–0 in 2003-04,
semi-final), 2 draws (both 0–0 in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 editions, with Milan
progressing 5–4 on penalties in the first of those) and 2 Milan victories (2–1 in 1976-77, group
stage; 3–2 in 2001-02, quarter-finals).
➤ Lazio are making their first appearance in the 2025-26 Coppa Italia, in what is their 77th
participation in the competition (a record shared with Roma, Milan, Inter, Bologna and Juventus).
Their record in the tournament stands at 322 matches played, with 159 wins, 74 draws and 89
defeats, and 479 goals scored against 330 conceded.
➤ Lazio have won the Coppa Italia 7 times, in the 1957-58, 1997-98, 1999-00, 2003-04, 2008-09,
2012-13 and 2018-19 editions, and have lost the final on 3 occasions (against Fiorentina in 1960-61
and against Juventus in 2014-15 and 2016-17).
➤ The two teams meet again just a few days after their 2025-26 Serie A fixture scheduled for
Saturday 29 November at San Siro.
➤ Milan have reached the round of 16 after starting from the preliminary rounds, which they had
not contested since the 2015-16 season. In the summer they eliminated Bari (2–0) and then
Lecce (3–0), both at home. Milan’s 5 goals in the 2025-26 Coppa Italia have been scored by Pulisic
(2), Gimenez, Leão and Nkunku (one each).
➤ Milan have won the Coppa Italia 5 times, in the 1966-67 edition (1–0 in the final against Padova in
Rome), 1971-72 (2–0 against Napoli in Rome), 1972-73 (5–2 on penalties against Juventus in the
Rome final, after a 1–1 draw over 90 and 120 minutes), 1976-77 (a one-off final at San Siro, a 2–0
win over Inter, the only time in the history of the competition that the final has been a Derby della
Madonnina) and 2002-03 (at the expense of Roma, with a 4–1 Milan win in the first leg at the
Stadio Olimpico and a 2–2 draw in the return at San Siro).
➤ Milan are the team that, in Coppa Italia history, have lost the most finals or finished runners-up (when the cup was awarded through a four-team final group stage): 10 times, in the seasons
1941-42, 1967-68, 1970-71, 1974-75, 1984-85, 1989-90, 1997-98, 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2024-25.
➤ Between Maurizio Sarri and Massimiliano Allegri, this is the 21st official meeting: before the
Milan-Lazio Serie A match on 29 November 2025, the record stands at 4 wins for the Lazio
coach, 4 draws, and 11 victories for the Rossoneri manager.
➤ Massimiliano Allegri made his debut as a Serie A manager against Lazio: 31 August 2008, his
Cagliari were defeated 4-1 by the Biancocelesti at Sant’Elia.
➤ Massimiliano Allegri is the manager who has won the Coppa Italia the most times (5, all with
Juventus), also winning the most consecutive editions (4, between 2014-15 and 2017-18, with a
fifth in 2023-24) and with the same club. In those same years, the manager from Livorno also
won the league title, achieving 4 consecutive doubles.
Ones to watch
Taty Castellanos is a clear threat for Lazio, and if the Rossoneri are not careful, he can create danger for the backline. It is expected to be his first start since his injury, so he may be slightly off the pace. However, he could only need one chance.
Additionally, Tijjani Noslin will want to impress in a rare chance to start. The Dutch winger has not started once this season in Serie A, so he could potentially start to earn a place moving forward with a positive performance.
For the Diavolo, Ardon Jashari’s impact will be key moving forward. He is expected to take Luka Modric’s place – which is where the club see his future – so if he plays well, it could assure some for the long term.
Pervis Estupinan has been given a chance, it seems, so he is another to keep an eye on. The Ecuadorian full-back has been largely out of favour. However, in a low-risk game, he could prove that he is not out of consideration. It will not be the most difficult test though, admittedly.
Prediction
This is a game which arguably means slightly more to Lazio. With Milan setting their sights on a potential Scudetto battle, and a gap already forming to Europe for the hosts, this may be the only route into a competition next season.
Nevertheless, Allegri will expect more of the same from his team, even if he does rotate heavily, and they will may just get through with the help of extra time.
Lazio 1-1 (1-2 AET) Milan
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