The match ends 0-0 after 120 minutes, the Rossoneri beat Lazio on penalty kicks thanks to Gigio Donnarumma and Romagnoli’s decisive penalty
What an epic night in Rome, almost an endless one. After 120 minutes of tension and excitement, coach Gattuso’s AC Milan reach the TIM Cup final and will face Juventus on 9th May, again, at the Stadio Olimpico. A place where we have just recorded two back to back victories against very tough opponents: Roma and Lazio. It’s not easy to highlight one single aspect of the Red and Blacks’ performance tonight as they showed grit, determination and were tactically organised at all times. All of this allowed the Rossoneri to hold off the Biancocelesti without conceding a goal and reach the penalty shoot-out, in which Donnarumma was outstanding at saving Milinkovic-Savic and Lucas Leiva’s consecutive strikes. Then, Romagnoli showed great composure to score the decisive penalty and take AC Milan to the Italian Cup final. Now it’s time to recharge the batteries and focus on another key match: the Milan derby.
AC Milan starts with the same line-up that defeated Roma at the Olimpico last Sunday. The home side has the first chances in the 6’ and 7’ through Immobile and Milinkovic-Savic but Donnarummadoes very well to block both attempts. In the 18’, Suso leaves Leiva behind and unleashes a strike, which is parried away by Strakosha. In the 27’, following a rebound, the ball falls in Cutrone’s path but the striker fails to direct the ball into the goal. Calhanoglu insists a few minutes later with a shot from distance that ends over the bar. Lazio respond and Immobile fires from close range forcing Gigio to make another brilliant save.
The second half begins and Calha tries again from outside the box but this time his effort ends in Strakosha’s hands. In the 56’, Calabria fires from close range but his shot is saved by the keeper and in the 59’ Hakan tries his luck one more time and again is denied by Strakosha. The match goes to extra-time and it’s AC Milan’s no. 10 to have the clearest chance in the 98’ through a free kick, which is sent to the corner. In the 118’, Kalinichas the biggest opportunity to put the match to bed but misses the goal. The game goes to penalties. Donnarumma makes a couple of brilliant saves to deny Milinkovic-Savic and Leiva. Romagnoli takes the decisive shot from the spot and makes no mistake showing AC Milan the way to the Cup final.
LAZIO (3-5-1-1): Strakosha; Cáceres, De Vrij, Radu; Marušić, Parolo, L.Leiva, Milinković-Savić, Lulić; Luis Alberto; Immobile.
Substitutes: Guerrieri, Vargić, Bastos, Wallace, Luiz Felipe, Patric, Basta, Lukaku, Murgia, Nani, Felipe Anderson, Caicedo.
MILAN (4-3-3): G.Donnarumma; Calabria, Bonucci, Romagnoli, R.Rodríguez; Kessie, Biglia, Bonaventura; Suso, Cutrone, Çalhanoğlu.
Substitutes: A.Donnarumma, Guarnone, Abate, Musacchio, Gómez, Zapata, Locatelli, Montolivo, Mauri, Borini, Kalinic, André Silva.
