Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud starred as AC Milan thrashed SS Lazio 4-0 to set up a blockbuster Coppa Italia semi-final clash against Inter Milan.
AC Milan made short work of SS Lazio to qualify for the last four of the Coppa Italia. The Rossoneri will meet arch-rivals Inter Milan in the semi-final as they search for a first triumph in the competition since 2003.
Stefano Pioli’s side went into the match in good spirits having defeated Inter at the weekend. The morale showed as Milan started the game on the front foot and did not take their foot off the gas for the entirety of the ninety minutes.
Alessio Romagnoli’s defence-splitting pass was latched onto by Rafael Leao, who beat Pepe Reina with ease to hand the home side the advantage in the 24th minute. A quickfire double by Olivier Giroud towards the end of the first half all but settled the tie by halftime. Franck Kessie’s goal in the 79th minute added further gloss to what was an excellent performance by the Rossoneri.
Both Milan sides are now set to battle each other on two domestic fronts as we head into the business end of the season. Whether the Rossoneri can use recent results as a springboard to end the campaign strongly remains to be seen. The Hard Tackle looks at how the Milan players fared on the night.
Mike Maignan (6/10)
The Frenchman had a fairly comfortable night as Lazio had just one shot on target all game. He was on hand to intercept crosses and also did well to kick-start attacks from the back.
Davide Calabria (6/10)
He had Mattia Zaccagni in his pocket all night and barely gave the Lazio star an inch. Calabria also looked assured in possession and appears to be slowly yet steadily getting back to his best. This augurs well for Milan heading into the business end of the season.
Pierre Kalulu (7/10)
He formed an excellent understanding with Alessio Romagnoli and was calm under pressure. Going up against Ciro Immobile is no easy task, but the Milan defender proved equal to it. There were moments where Lazio threatened, but Kalulu’s pace often saw him salvage the situation.
Alessio Romagnoli (7/10)
He proved to be the perfect foil for Kalulu as the pair kept Lazio’s attack extremely quiet. Romagnoli also helped break the deadlock with a sensational through ball that saw Leao put Milan ahead on the night.
Theo Hernandez (7/10)
The Frenchman got sent off at the weekend against Inter Milan but was more assured in defence this time around. He showed excellent judgement in getting forward, landing himself an assist in the process. His defensive awareness could do with some work but this was a much-improved performance.
Sandro Tonali (7/10)
A commanding performance from the Italian international, who continues to develop into a key player for Milan. However, Tonali picked up a yellow card that now rules him out of the semi-final first leg against Inter.
Franck Kessie (7/10)
The Ivory Coast international rounded off the night with an excellent goal to make the score 4-0 on the night. He was a reliable outlet from the middle of the park and could be set for a last hurrah with the club ahead of the summer transfer window.
Rafael Leao (8/10)
Milan’s man of the match, the Portuguese winger opened the scoring on the night before assisting Giroud’s first goal of the match. Full of ideas and difficult to pin down, Leao is a difficult player to keep quiet. He will only continue to improve and from the looks of it, Milan have a real player on their hands.
9 – Rafael #Leão has scored 9 goals in 2021/22 in all competitions, more than any other AC Milan's player. The Portuguese has established his new record of goals in a single season with clubs. Dynamite.#MilanLazio #CoppaItaliaFrecciarossa pic.twitter.com/xU7nujWqmL
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) February 9, 2022
Junior Messias (7/10)
It was a much-improved performance from the Brazilian and even though he didn’t find the back of the net, he kept the Lazio left-flank occupied, opening up space for his teammates to exploit. More will be expected of him in the weeks to come.
Brahim Diaz (6/10)
Another player who is slowly returning to his best. The Spaniard lacked the end product, but showed excellent awareness and reading of the game to craft opportunities and space for his teammates.
Olivier Giroud (8/10)
The French veteran scored his second brace in as many games and continues to be a reliable finisher for Milan up front. Given Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absence, Giroud’s return to form could not have come at a better time. He took both his chances well on the night and this clinical ability to finish off chances could prove pivotal in the games to come.
10 – #Giroud has scored 10 goals in 8 official games started with AC Milan at Meazza stadium.
He is only the third AC Milan's player able to score in 4 consecutive games started at Meazza stadium in the last 10 seasons (after Ibrahimovic and Calhanoglu, both in 2020). Predator. pic.twitter.com/hsy85BTLZW
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) February 9, 2022
Substitutes
Ismael Bennacer (6/10)
The midfielder came off the bench to add some much needed energy in the middle of the park. He kept things simple and ensured that Milan saw out the game with minimal fuss.
Ante Rebic (6/10)
He came off the bench and pressed well but continues to lack the X-factor when it comes to crafting or finishing chances. He will need to do much better in order to break into the first XI.
Alexis Saelemaekers (6/10)
The Belgian winger was able to get past his markers quite easily but struggled to make his chances count. His decision-making often saw him squander several good openings.
Daniel Maldini (6/10)
Maldini came on with the match in the bag and little to do attack-wise. He was rather fortunate to receive an assist for Kessie’s goal on the night.
Fikayo Tomori (6/10)
The Englishman returned from injury and was not under too much pressure on the night. The rather comfortable outing will do him good as he eases his way back into the first-team fold.
