Lazio and AC Milan no closer to solving their problems after night of bold calls and public mutiny in Rome

STADIO OLIMPICO (Rome): Marco Baroni and Paulo Fonseca might be dealing with different expectations in their respective new jobs at Lazio and AC Milan, but they have one thing in common: their response to a defeat. 

Both coaches made bold selection calls for their meeting in Rome on Saturday after Matchday 2 of Serie A brought concerning defeats.

Ultimately, a helter-skelter 2-2 draw in the capital in Matchday 3 underlined what we already knew - that these teams have dangerous weapons in attack and fatal flaws at the back.

Strahinja Pavlovic's early goal got Milan off to the perfect start in a sluggish first half, but a quick-fire double from Taty Castellanos and Boulaye Dia had the hosts ahead midway through the second before Rafael Leao came off the bench to instantly score a leveller.

Going into the international break with three league matches in the rearview mirror, Fonseca is yet to have a win on the board as Rossoneri coach.

Mixed responses to big decisions

Lazio coach Baroni went big by changing to a 4-2-3-1 formation, an attack-minded switch that allowed summer signing Dia to start alongside Castellanos at the expense of a midfielder. It also meant handing Nuno Tavares his first competitive start since February on a sticky, soupy night in the capital.  

For Fonseca, the changes were even more attention-grabbing. Star duo Theo Hernandez and Leao were dropped for raw youngster Filippo Terracciano and the inconsistent Samuel Chukwueze. Additionally, Davide Calabria’s omission saw Fikayo Tomori handed the captain’s armband for the night.   

The opening 10 minutes suggested that the ripping up of the script from both bosses could lead to an entertaining free-for all between two sides who look far more comfortable attacking than defending. 

Pavlovic was heavily involved, clearing a Dia effort off the line inside two minutes before going up the other end to nod in a Christian Pulisic corner and give the Rossoneri the lead in a match for the first time in the 2024/25 season.  

However, from then on, the suffocating humidity seemed to overwhelm both sides, as a dozy half sauntered on until a chorus of boos from the home fans met the half-time whistle.  

All hell breaks loose as subs roll on

Baroni’s half-time changes were almost an admission that Fonseca’s pre-match calls had worked better than his.

Off came a rattled Manuel Lazzari and ineffective Loum Tachouna for Adam Marusic and Gustav Isaksen as the Lazio coach completely changed his right flank to better deal with the threat posed not by usual suspects Theo and Leao, but by Pulisic and the drifting Noah Okafor.

Isaksen’s pace and directness quickly began to ask some questions as Lazio found a second wind, and just past the hour mark they struck when impressive debutant Tavares’ cross was volleyed home by Castellanos from close range.

Just four minutes later, the comeback was complete, Tavares once again the creator with another lung-busting run down the left to the byline, teeing up Dia for a tap-in that proved that Baroni was right to stick with his two-striker formation and later earned the full-back the player of the match award.

Fonseca then decided it was the moment to accept he needed his big guns. On came Hernandez and Leao, two of four changes at once that also included Yunus Musah and debutant Tammy Abraham, whose name was greeted by jeers following his deadline day move from AS Roma.

It took little more than a minute for the wholesale changes to pay off as Leao started and finished a rapid, direct attack that carved open the Lazio defence – with Abraham getting the assist.

But if Fonseca had hoped the equaliser would spark a moment of strength in unity from his side, those hopes soon evaporated.

Almost straight after the equaliser a cooling break was called and the Milan team huddled together for instruction from their coach – all apart from Hernandez and Leao, that is, who remained on the far touchline throughout.

It was an ominous sign that will have plenty wondering what the atmosphere is like behind the scenes at Milanello. The public mutiny will only make life more difficult for Fonseca as he tries to stop a tricky start spiralling into a crisis.