Lazio and Milan face off on Saturday, September 12 at 18:00 in an early kickoff, as the Rossoneri will then be involved the following Wednesday in their Europa League clash with Benfica. The match at the Olimpico is one of the most intriguing fixtures of this fourth round of Serie A.
Gattuso’s side had a dreadful start to the season, getting knocked out of the Coppa Italia straight away by Mantova—a Serie B team—but with the start of the league campaign, the Biancocelesti have shifted gears, stringing together three consecutive wins and climbing to the top of the table alongside Roma and Inter.
The standout performer in Lazio’s strong start has been Frattesi, who has scored 3 of the 4 goals netted by Gattuso’s men, and he’s expected to play a key role again on Saturday against Milan.
Amorim’s Rossoneri, on the other hand, won their first two Serie A matches (away at Torino and at home against Venezia), but struggled quite a bit on Sunday night at Juventus, even though the Bianconeri’s equalizer only came in stoppage time.
Milan come into this Olimpico clash as favorites, but Lazio are in excellent form and will be chasing a fourth straight win.
Lazio vs Milan: The Numbers
Lazio and Milan have faced each other 166 times in Serie A, with the Rossoneri ahead with 73 wins to 33, while there have been 60 draws. However, when Lazio have played at home, the numbers are much more balanced: 24 wins for Milan, 22 for Lazio, and 37 draws.
Since 2012, Lazio have won 7 of the 15 home matches against Milan in Serie A, including last season’s clash at the Olimpico (1-0, as well as the 2025/26 Coppa Italia Round of 16 match, also won by Sarri’s Lazio against Allegri’s Milan).
Milan are unbeaten so far this season, but have lost at least one of their first four Serie A matches in each of the previous three seasons.
Lazio have won their first three Serie A matches. Previously, the Biancocelesti had only managed this feat in the 1974/75 and 2012/13 seasons.
What Kind of Match Can We Expect from Lazio and Milan?
Gattuso has always lined up his Lazio in a 4-3-3 this season, and his team has consistently looked very cohesive and aggressive. Even last season, quick and technical players like Zaccagni and Isaksen caused problems for Milan’s defense—something they’ll look to repeat in Saturday’s match.
Amorim arrived at Milan promising possession-based, aggressive football, and his style was partly visible in the games against Torino and Venezia. Much less so, however, in the match against Juve, where the Rossoneri sat deep and were overly defensive. Milan will need to regain their aggression ahead of the Lazio clash, in a match that promises to be anything but boring—and we should definitely see a few goals.
Probable Lineups for Lazio vs Milan
Gattuso will be without Cataldi, Marusic, and Rovella due to injury, while Dele-Bashiru could be fit in time.
Gudmundsson, who just arrived from Fiorentina, scored immediately on Monday in Udine, but may start on the bench for this one.
For Milan, Gabbia is unlikely to recover in time for the defense, as the Italian is still training separately. Amorim will have to decide whether to stick with Saelemaekers and Rabiot as attacking midfielders—neither convinced against Juve—or to throw in Cisse from the start, who came off the bench to score his second goal in three games for Milan against the Bianconeri. Pulisic hasn’t played a single minute in the league so far, but could get some time off the bench in Rome.
Probable Lineups:
Lazio (4-3-3): Mandas; Floriani, Doekhi, Provstgaard, Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Pinamonti, Zaccagni. Manager: Gattuso
Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Musah, Estupinan; Rabiot, Saelemaekers; Gonçalo Ramos. Manager: Amorim