AC Milan and Lazio will be desperate to end their winless runs in Serie A when they face off at San Siro on Sunday.
Matchday 27 of the 2024/25 Serie A season continues on Sunday, which will feature five matches. The action on the day will end with AC Milan vs SS Lazio at San Siro, with both teams eager to return to winning ways in the top flight.
AC Milan’s challenge for a top-four finish continues faltering, and the latest setback was the 2-1 defeat to Bologna earlier this week. The result stretched the team’s winless run to three games, including successive losses in Serie A. So, Sergio Conceicao’s men have fallen further behind Juventus, with the Bianconeri eight points ahead of the Rossoneri.
On the other hand, SS Lazio may currently be on a four-game unbeaten run, but their last two outings have ended in a stalemate. Those results meant the Biancocelesti squandered the opportunity to usurp Juventus for a spot in the top four.
The reverse fixture saw AC Milan come from a goal down to hold SS Lazio to a 2-2 draw, with Rafael Leao scoring the equaliser. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Sergio Conceicao has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The AC Milan manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs SS Lazio on Sunday.
Kyle Walker is close to returning from a thigh injury, and the English full-back might be in the matchday squad. However, Alessandro Florenzi (knee), Pierre Kalulu (muscle), Emerson Royal (calf), and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (muscle) remain on the sidelines.
Mike Maignan is an automatic pick between the sticks, with AC Milan lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs SS Lazio on Sunday. The backline should feature Alex Jimenez, Malick Thiaw, Strahinja Pavlovic, and Theo Hernandez.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders in the double pivot. Joao Felix will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic being the two wide attackers. Finally, Santiago Gimenez should spearhead the AC Milan attack against Lazio on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Jimenez, Thiaw, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Felix, Leao; Gimenez
SS Lazio
Unlike his counterpart in the AC Milan dugout, Marco Baroni has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to San Siro. The SS Lazio manager might be without five first-team players on Sunday.
Valentin Castellanos is the most notable absentee, with the Argentine striker recovering from a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old attacker accompanies Elseid Hysaj (thigh), Matias Vecino (hamstring), and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (knock) on the sidelines. In addition, Alessio Romagnoli will likely miss out after picking up a muscular problem earlier this week against Inter Milan.
Ivan Provedel will take his spot between the sticks, with AC Milan lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs AC Milan on Sunday. The backline should feature Manuel Lazzari, Mario Gila, Samuel Gigot, and Nuno Tavares.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past the solid duo of Nicolo Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi in the double pivot. Pedro will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni being the two wide attackers. Finally, Boulaye Dia will lead the line for Lazio against AC Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Lazzari, Gila, Gigot, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Pedro, Zaccagni; Dia
Key Stats
- Sunday’s Serie A clash will be the 192nd meeting between AC Milan and Lazio. The hosts have a superior head-to-head record with 86 wins (D65 L40).
- AC Milan have avoided defeat in six of their last seven Serie A matches vs Lazio (W5 D1), with the Roman side’s only victory during this period coming in January 2023.
- AC Milan have avoided defeat in 33 of their last 34 home games against Lazio in Serie A (W22 D11). The only win for the Biancocelesti during this period was a 2-1 victory in November 2019.
- After the defeats to Torino and Bologna, AC Milan could lose three successive Serie A games for the first time since February 2003, a run that began in January.
- SS Lazio have yet to win a game without Valentin Castellanos, with two matches ending in a draw and two finishing in defeat for the Biancocelesti.
Player to Watch
Rafael Leao
While Christian Pulisic, Pedro, and Santiago Gimenez were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Rafael Leao as our Player to Watch for Sunday’s game between AC Milan and SS Lazio. The Portuguese international will have a point to prove after blowing hot and cold this term.
While Leao has been inconsistent in the 2024/25 season, his stock in the market remains high, with recent reports linking him with European bigwigs. However, the 25-year-old will be focused on the job at hand as he looks to guide AC Milan back to winning ways. After scoring in the reverse fixture, he will be eager to make his mark against Lazio again.
Prediction
AC Milan 1-1 SS Lazio
AC Milan might be in the middle of a horrendous run after losing two successive games in Serie A. However, the hosts have only lost one league game at home, although they have won only six of their 13 outings thus far.
On the other hand, Lazio’s away record is sketchy, with the Biancocelesti losing five games on the road in Serie A. So, there might not be much to separate the two sides, although an AC Milan win is not out of the question. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between the top-four contenders.
