Akin Ayomide
AC Milan moved top of Serie A on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Lazio which gave the seven-time European champions a one-point lead over Roma and ended in chaos after a late penalty controversy.
Rafael Leao forced home the only goal of a scrappy game at the San Siro in the 51st minute, the Portugal attacker meeting Fikayo Tomori’s powerful low cross to score his sixth goal of the season.
Milan will stay top unless Roma beat Napoli on Sunday night or the reigning champions come away from the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with an away win of two goals or more.
Little happened until Leao broke the deadlock, with the first half offering almost no action beyond a sensational early save by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France’s Maignan kept out Mario Gila’s well-directed header moments after kick-off, again proving his worth after a match-winning performance in last weekend’s Milan derby.
Maignan’s contract expires at the end of the season but ahead of kick-off Milan’s sporting director Igli Tare hinted that an extension would be agreed.
“We came to am agreement together at the start of the season, we’re moving forward without any pressure on either party,” said Tare.
A tepid encounter ended in fireworks when Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri was sent off for dissent as referee Giuseppe Collu went to check whether Lazio should be given an added-time penalty for a Strahinja Pavlovic handball.
To the delight of Milan’s players and fans Collu ruled against Lazio, who stay eighth on 18 points after a fifth defeat of the season which left them five points behind seventh-placed Juventus who beat Cagliari 2-1 earlier on Saturday.