Diego Moreira came off the bench to score twice in two minutes as Milan fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Lazio. The Rossoneri had struggled through the first half, when Matteo Cancellieri and Tijjani Noslin put the hosts in control.
Lazio had started the Serie A campaign with three consecutive victories over Bologna, Genoa, and Udinese despite their Coppa Italia elimination by Mantova. Milan, meanwhile, were still without Matteo Gabbia, while Adrien Rabiot moved into midfield in place of Yunus Musah after featuring as a trequartista in the 1-1 draw with Juventus.
Lazio and Milan set the tone early
Lazio made the stronger start at the Stadio Olimpico, where the continuing boycott of home matches meant Milan fans outnumbered the home supporters in the stands. Christos Mandas was forced to palm Samuel Chukwueze’s header off the line following a Luka Modric corner, while Matteo Cancellieri went down under pressure from Pervis Estupinan in the penalty area.
Mattia Zaccagni then escaped Chukwueze and tested Mike Maignan with a difficult one-handed save from an angle. Noslin also came close when he met a Romano Floriani Mussolini cross, but his effort went straight at the Milan goalkeeper.
The pressure eventually produced the opening goal. Nuno Tavares drove through the centre before finding Zaccagni on the left, and his low ball across the area allowed Cancellieri to slide in at the far post as Estupinan was caught out.
Lazio extends the lead before Milan responds
Zaccagni was again involved when a clever passing move and Davide Frattesi’s first-time lay-off sent him through. Maignan came quickly off his line and made a brave point-blank save with his face to deny him.
Frattesi nearly found the net himself after benefiting from a fortunate ricochet off Modric, but his effort skimmed the post. Pavlovic also headed a Chukwueze cross over the bar as Milan struggled to contain Lazio’s attacking pressure.
The hosts doubled their advantage in chaotic fashion. Kenneth Taylor sent the ball across from the left, and it struck the underside of the crossbar before a combination of Koni De Winter’s attempted clearance and Noslin’s head sent it over the line from close range.
Milan had little to celebrate before the interval, despite a deflected Ruben Loftus-Cheek effort going wide and Mario Gila directing the resulting corner straight at Mandas. Three changes were made at half-time, including the introduction of Christian Pulisic for his season debut.
Diego Moreira completes Milan’s comeback
Milan returned for the second half with greater aggression. Pavlovic headed straight at Mandas after an impressive run from Diego Moreira, while the Lazio goalkeeper then produced another strong save to keep out Pulisic’s low effort at the near post.
The changes soon paid off. Pulisic lifted a cross from the right towards Moreira, who kept his volley on target from a difficult angle at the far post to register his first Serie A goal.
Only 120 seconds later, Moreira struck again. Yunus Musah recovered possession in midfield and delivered the ball forward, with Rabiot laying it off for Moreira to fire a first-time shot from the edge of the area and bring Milan level at 2-2.
Lazio still had opportunities to reclaim the lead, with Zaccagni testing Maignan from long range. Cisse curled a solo effort wide of the far post, while Goncalo Ramos narrowly failed to connect with an Omari Hutchinson cross as the points were ultimately shared.