Juventus defender Gleison Bremer celebrated his return to the Brazil squad after almost two full years and serious injuries. ‘I had very difficult moments, but always hoped to fight for a place at the World Cup.’

The centre-back was one of only two Serie A players named in the group for the upcoming friendly matches against France and Croatia.

The other is Roma winger Wesley Franca, but for Bremer it is a return to the Seleçao for the first time since the 2024 edition of the Copa America.

Bremer returns to Brazil squad after 2 years

“I am enormously happy to be back in the Brazil squad after almost two years,” Bremer told the Brazilian media.

“I had some very difficult moments, a serious knee injury and then another operation on the meniscus, but the hope of getting back into the team and fighting for a place at the World Cup was always there.

“This was always one of the big objectives for me, even when I was still in the midst of recovery and it all seemed such a long way away.

“These were many small steps that together created this journey. I will honour this jersey, the greatest in the world, with all of my strength, my commitment, and my passion. Thank you, Brazil.”

Bremer also marked the occasion with a video compilation of the work he did in training to recover from those operations.

It is an additional birthday gift, as he will turn 29 on Wednesday.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bremer (@bremer)

The Juventus defender has five senior caps for Brazil, but the most recent was in a friendly against Mexico on June 9, 2024.

He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in October 2024 and then when he returned suffered another setback in October 2025, requiring an operation on the meniscus.

“I called some new players because they are doing well in their respective leagues and are 100 per cent physically, like Bremer in Italy,” explained Brazil manager Ancelotti.

The centre-back has made 23 appearances for Juventus this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

Davide Nicola admits Cremonese are ‘too fragile’ after a 4-1 defeat to Fiorentina, but insists he continues to ‘believe’ in Serie A survival. ‘We are only three points away.’

This was a must-win match for the Seahorses, who went into it without suspended Giuseppe Pezzella, plus injured Jamie Vardy, Federico Baschirotto and Michele Collocolo.

However, after a big David De Gea save in the opening two minutes, they crumbled to a 4-1 home defeat to Fiorentina with Fabiano Parisi, Roberto Piccoli, Dodo and Albert Gudmundsson on target.

David Okereke, who had been frozen out of the squad for months and last week made his first appearance since August 2025, got a mere consolation goal, but they were jeered off the pitch at the final whistle.

Nicola struggling to keep Cremonese afloat

“I try to be honest and objective, it’s understandable the fans express less than great enthusiasm right now, but this is precisely when we need their support behind us,” Nicola told DAZN Italia.

“It’s only right they express irritation and disappointment, which can help in a different way. The team gave all it could tonight, but admittedly we are too fragile at the moment and concede far too easily.

“Having said that, we never stopped trying to create chances, so at this moment I prefer to look on the positive side and not seek scapegoats. I believe safety is within three points, but if we continue to be this fragile, then it’s going to be tough.

“We must believe in ourselves, I believe we have it within ourselves to find that turning point. I believe, I don’t just say that as a mantra, but when I put a target in my mind, I am ready to accept all negative and positive moments to achieve it.”

The situation is now dire, as Cremonese are left in the relegation zone on 24 points, three behind Lecce and four adrift of Fiorentina.

They are also only six points ahead of the bottom pairing of Pisa and Hellas Verona.

This team had started the season so well, but now have a pitiful four draws in 15 games, scoring just five goals in that time.

There are inevitably reports that Cremonese could therefore sack Nicola, even though he is a specialist at getting teams out of impossible situations.

“We always have to challenge ourselves, and if during a not brief period the results don’t come, you have to try different situations,” noted Nicola.

“I’d say more than not scoring goals, the problem is that we concede them too easily. We conceded today at the first situation, and it’s up to us to resolve it.

“We are not going to do that by added sadness or depression, but with the enthusiasm of those who know that safety is only three points away. It’s all still up for grabs.”

Paolo Vanoli recognises Fiorentina took some time to ‘focus around what is a new objective’ of Serie A safety and calls Roberto Piccoli ‘a diamond in the rough’ after the 4-1 win over Cremonese.

This was a huge test for the Viola, as they were only one point ahead of Cremonese and the relegation zone going into the Stadio Giovanni Zini.

Although there were a few wobbles, including a David De Gea save in the opening 120 seconds, they ran out 4-1 winners with goals from Fabiano Parisi, Piccoli, a Dodo run from his own half, and Albert Gudmundsson finishing off a move with two back-heel flicks.

Cremonese managed to pull one back with David Okereke, but this result takes Fiorentina up to 16^th place, leapfrogging Lecce and moving four clear of the drop zone.

Vanoli sees Fiorentina progress

“These are three very important points against a direct rival for position,” Vanoli told DAZN Italia.

“I do believe we should’ve done much, much better when we had gone in front, as we were too frenetic and eager to push forward, when we should’ve been calm and able to control the tempo.”

Since the midway stage of the season, Fiorentina have picked up 15 points, the same as Roma and Lazio, which has seen them surge up the standings.

“It took some time, we did improve and I feel we still have real margin for further improvement. The toughest thing was recreating that unity of intent and focus around what is a new objective for Fiorentina,” explained Vanoli.

“We know that Florence deserves a lot more, but this is where we are this season, so we need to see it through and achieve a fundamental target for the club. Now we have to go to Poland and have only two days to prepare, so we need to recharge the batteries and be ready for another very difficult match.”

There had been concerns that Fiorentina would not be able to shift their mentality back to a Serie A relegation battle, especially as it was played between two legs of the Conference League Round of 16 against Rakow.

They won 2-1 last week and visit Poland on Thursday for the second leg of that UEFA tie.

“I don’t want to hear talk of a definitive turning point. This was a head-to-head and therefore a very important match, we are facing these fixtures with a different mentality to earlier in the season.

“The Conference League saps us of energy, so we’ve got to keep trying to balance the two competitions and keep our feet on the ground.”

Top scorer Moise Kean was also only fit for the bench, with Niccolò Fortini, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured, but for the first time in his entire career, Piccoli contributed both a goal and an assist in the same Serie A match.

“Moise worked really hard just to be on the bench, I was going to give him 7-8 minutes tonight, but Ranieri had cramp and I had to change my plans,” added Vanoli.

“Piccoli is a diamond in the rough who has great potential and is gradually improving. His goal today was that of a great striker, but sometimes he lets his head drop, so he needs to keep believing in himself every day.”

Dodo explains his extraordinary solo goal in Fiorentina’s 4-1 win over Cremonese, while Fabiano Parisi admits ‘nothing can be taken for granted’ in a relegation fight.

The Viola knew the pressure was on at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in a relegation dogfight, as they were just one point ahead of Cremonese and the bottom three going into this game.

They had a few concerning moments, such as an early David De Gea save and Nicolò Fagioli goal-line clearance, but ran out 4-1 winners thanks to goals from Parisi, Roberto Piccoli, Dodo and Albert Gudmundsson.

David Okereke got one back for the hosts, who are now without a win in 15 Serie A rounds, scoring only five goals during that time.

Dodo and Parisi inspired Fiorentina victory

“We targeted this game all week, it was a head-to-head and so important to win, but we’ve done nothing yet and have to keep concentrated in every match,” Dodo told DAZN Italia.

“It’s not just about Serie A, but also the Conference League, we’ve got to keep focused and take it one game at a time.”

The Brazilian had not scored yet in the league this season, but he saved it all up with a sensational solo run from his own half and joked he’d scored the best of the game.

“Mine was better, I beat three players! I think one player stumbled, I got there and waited until the last second, as someone was coming at me quickly, so I tried a dummy and let him go by me.”

Did Carlo Ancelotti maybe see that goal and consider calling Dodo up for Brazil?

“The call-ups were today, so we’ll see what happens,” he laughed.

Unfortunately for the Fiorentina player, Ancelotti already named his squad for upcoming friendlies against France and Croatia before kick-off, so Dodo was not included.

This result takes Fiorentina up to 16^th place on 28 points, leapfrogging Lecce on 27 and leaving the relegation zone behind on 24.

It was not to be taken for granted that Fiorentina would have the right mindset for a relegation tussle, seeing as they were fresh off a 2-1 Conference League Round of 16 victory over Rakow, and preparing for Thursday’s second leg in Poland.

Top scorer Moise Kean was also only fit for the bench, with Niccolò Fortini, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured.

“The reality is that unfortunately we are down there, even if we have quality in the squad, so we’ve got to keep picking up points in every game,” Parisi told DAZN Italia.

“Nothing is to be taken for granted, even if we are Fiorentina, so we have to keep playing like this and fighting for every point.”

The 4-1-4-1 formation is giving Parisi a new more advanced role as an attacking winger, and he admits the goal was something he’d tried in training.

“The coach gave me this new role and the opponents know I am left-footed, so I practice in training to cut inside and shoot with my right, this is what I did and it worked, thankfully also with the deflection.”

Fiorentina made a big step forward in their pursuit of Serie A safety with this 4-1 victory away to Cremonese, including classy Dodo and Albert Gudmundsson goals.

This was a huge and potentially decisive relegation tussle, as going into the weekend the Viola were in 17^th place on 25 points and the hosts in 18^th on 24. Moise Kean was only fit for the bench, with Niccolò Fortini, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured after Thursday’s 2-1 Conference League first leg win over Rakow. Cremonese missed Jamie Vardy, Federico Baschirotto, Michele Collocolo and suspended Giuseppe Pezzella, scraping only four points in the last 14 games, scoring just four goals in that period.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

David De Gea needed a big save after 120 seconds, as a corner was put back in over the top for Federico Bonazzoli to test the goalkeeper from six yards.

Youssef Maleh threw himself in the path of an acrobatic Rolando Mandragora volley, but Fiorentina took the lead when Fabiano Parisi got down the right on a Mandragora pass and his angled drive took a deflection off Romano Floriani Mussolini to go through Emil Audero’s legs at the near post.

The second goal came from a Robin Gosens through ball that allowed Roberto Piccoli to spring the offside trap, beating the on-rushing Audero from a tricky angle.

Fiorentina added a third straight after the restart, as Dodo started the run from his own half, shrugged off Floriani Mussolini, then rolled the ball off the underside of the right boot to send both Maleh and Audero to ground, calmly stroking it into the net with his left.

Cremonese did get one back with only their fifth goal in the last 15 Serie A games, as Ceccherini pulled it back from the right for substitute David Okereke to slide in with the finish from 10 yards. It was a great moment for the striker, who had been frozen out of the squad for months and only made his return last week.

Audero ran a big risk moments later when playing out from the back, harassed into an error by Parisi, but made up for it by flying to fingertip a Mandragora curler out from under the bar.

Cremonese very nearly got it back to 2-3 when Okereke’s glancing header on a corner was cleared off the line by Nicolò Fagioli.

Alberto Grassi also came sliding in to meet a Djuric knockdown and couldn’t steer it on target at the back post.

Instead, Fiorentina restored their three-goal advantage with another goal of great quality. Gosens sent Marco Brescianini down the left, he back-heeled it for Piccoli, who in turn heeled it into the path of Gudmundsson to sweep in first-time with the inside of the right boot.

Gosens still showed bravery throwing himself in the path of a Djuric header before Alessio Zerbin could tap in at the back post, crashing into the upright with his ribs.

Cremonese 1-4 Fiorentina

Parisi 25 (F), Piccoli 32 (F), Dodo 49 (F), Okereke 57 (C), Gudmundsson 70 (F)

16-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giovanni Zini

Cremonese

Fiorentina

1 - 4

Player statistic

1st half

		25'		Fabiano Parisi (Assist: Rolando Mandragora)
Warren Bondo		27'
		32'		Roberto Piccoli (Assist: Robin Gosens)

2nd half

		49'		Dodô (Assist: Albert Gudmundsson)
David Okereke (Assist: Federico Ceccherini)		57'
		70'		Albert Gudmundsson (Assist: Roberto Piccoli)

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

13

Total shots

13

3

Shots on target

6

8

Shots off target

3

2

Blocked shots

4

4

Corners

6

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

16

Cremonese

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

80'

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

69'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

55'

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

46'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

62'

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

81'

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

89'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

4

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

81'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

75'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

76'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

14

Faris Moumbagna

Attacker

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

30

Mika Faye

Defender

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

55'

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

62'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

69'

24

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

80'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

75'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

76'

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

81'

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

81'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

89'

Como are currently in fourth place and would right now be qualified for the Champions League, but an astonishing statistic shows they had an Italian on the pitch for one minute in Serie A.

Cesc Fabregas and the Indonesian club owners have created a strong squad at the Stadio Sinigaglia, just two years after earning promotion from Serie B.

Their 2-1 victory over Roma put them into fourth place, beating the Giallorossi and Juventus in the race for a Champions League spot.

However, Como also have more foreign influence on the field than any other team, as shown by an alarming statistical analysis.

Como gave Italian players just 60 seconds in Serie A

Throughout 29 Serie A matches this season, the Lariani had an Italian on the pitch for precisely one minute of football.

That 60 seconds was for 32-year-old defender Edoardo Goldaniga, who featured as a late substitute in the 2-1 win away to Fiorentina on September 21, 2025.

On the other hand, Cagliari are the team who give the most minutes to Italian players, representing 18,868 minutes in Serie A this season.

Cremonese are next on 16,212 minutes, Fiorentina (14,873 minutes), Pisa (12,895 minutes) and Lazio (12,255).

Of the sides battling for Europe, Atalanta give the most playing time to Italians, worth 10,906 minutes.

Bologna follow on 9,347 minutes, then Napoli 9,296 minutes, Inter on 8,711 minutes, Juventus 8,657 minutes, Roma 8,474 minutes.

Genoa are surprisingly low down on 7,970 minutes, Parma 7,754, Lecce 6,705, Sassuolo 5,840, while Milan have a mere 4,924 minutes for their Italians.

Udinese played theirs for 4,787 minutes, Torino 4,438, Verona 4,137, but nobody can compare to Como with 1 minute.

There are growing reports that Rafael Leao’s latest tantrum has irritated Milan directors so much that they would be ready to listen if a suitable offer came in for his sale.

He was meant to become the key figure for the future of the club after signing a new contract, which made him the highest-paid player in the squad.

The idea was for him to become a leader and finally mature at San Siro, but considering he turns 27 in June and is showing very little sign of changing his bad habits, they are losing patience.

Milan realising Leao will not change

Leao dragged his heels during a substitution in the defeat to Lazio, so Mike Maignan ran over from the goal to the touchline in order to shove him physically off the pitch.

He then resisted an attempt from coach Max Allegri to give a reassuring hug, and now the Gazzetta dello Sport claims that he continued to vent his anger at teammate Christian Pulisic in the dressing room after the game.

Rafael Leão wasn't happy about being subbed in the 66th minute during AC Milan's 1-0 defeat to Lazio pic.twitter.com/v42C5EpG6u

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2026

Multiple sources including MilanNews, Tuttomercatoweb and Calciomercato all suggest that Milan are tired of waiting for Leao to grow up, now recognising this is simply his personality rather than a quirk of youth and inexperience.

With that in mind, there is no plan to extend the contract that currently expires in June 2028.

In fact, unlike previous seasons, Milan are ready to listen if anyone makes a genuine offer to buy Leao in the summer, with the hope Premier League sides will step up.

He has been linked with clubs in the past including Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

His record is of 80 goals and 64 assists in 284 competitive matches for Milan, and the asking price would be in the region of €80-90m.

It’s reported Rafael Leao continued his tantrum in the dressing room after Milan’s defeat to Lazio, aiming his ire at Christian Pulisic, forcing coach Max Allegri to intervene.

The Portugal international did nothing to hide his irritation when hauled off as a substitute at the 67^th minute of this 1-0 loss at the Stadio Olimpico last night.

He walked so slowly off the field that goalkeeper Mike Maignan ran halfway up the pitch to physically push him off, then resisted Allegri’s attempt at a reassuring hug.

Rafael Leão wasn't happy about being subbed in the 66th minute during AC Milan's 1-0 defeat to Lazio pic.twitter.com/v42C5EpG6u

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2026

The coach said in post-match comments that Leao was “a bit annoyed because he had some situations where he could’ve had better service, so he was a bit angry, but these things can happen during a match.”

Claim Leao vented frustration with Pulisic

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Leao was specifically furious with Pulisic, who he accused of not passing him the ball in two potentially dangerous attacking situations.

More importantly, it’s reported that the anger continued well after the final whistle in the dressing room, to the degree that Allegri had to separate the pair and tell them to calm down.

It is safe to say that this strike partnership isn’t delivering the goods for Milan, because Pulisic has not scored a single goal in 2026.

This may well also have contributed to the USMNT star’s resistance to passing the ball, as he wanted to break his drought.

The pairing also hasn’t had many opportunities to work from the start, as one or the other tended to be out injured.

Leao and Pulisic have only started together seven times in Serie A this season, during which Milan scored just two goals.

When Leao found the net against Cremonese, it was after Pulisic had already been substituted.

Robin Gosens admits Fiorentina are dealing with ‘a very different type of pressure’ in the relegation battle with Cremonese, so ‘mentality is everything’ in tonight’s showdown.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

This result could well decide who stays up and who drops into Serie B this summer, because going into this game Fiorentina are in 17^th place on 25 points and Cremonese are in the drop zone in 18^th on 24 points.

At the same time, the Tuscans are also forced to think about the Conference League Round of 16, after beating Rakow 2-1 on Thursday, they will visit Poland this week for the second leg.

Gosens warning for Fiorentina

“When you have to fight against relegation, the match plan works to a certain extent, but then mentality is everything,” Gosens told DAZN Italia.

“It’s a very different type of pressure to the one we had last season, for example, when we had other objectives.

“We want to be aggressive at the right time and clear-headed when unexpected things happen. We are coming off an important Conference League win that gave us enthusiasm, so we are ready.”

Fiorentina have also shifted their tactics recently to a four-man defence, and that means a different role for ex-Atalanta and Inter wing-back Gosens now that he is a full-back.

“I am a full-back who likes to attack, because those are my characteristics, but it’s very different in a four-man defence, as I don’t get to attack the back post in quite the same way.

“The important thing is that I have got my fitness levels back, which is absolutely fundamental for a player with my style of football. I am happy the coach chose me today and want to repay that faith.”

The change also means that Fabiano Parisi moves into a more advanced role for Fiorentina as part of a supporting quartet behind centre-forward Roberto Piccoli.

“Fabiano is having a great season, he put himself at the disposal of the coach and doing a good job in this position,” concluded Gosens.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has called up Roma winger Wesley and Juventus defender Gleison Bremer from Serie A for the upcoming friendlies against France and Croatia.

They are warming up for the 2026 World Cup campaign with a couple of test matches, as they will play France on March 26, then Croatia on April 1.

The Seleçao are in World Cup Group C with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, with their tournament beginning on June 14.

Ancelotti picks Bremer and Wesley

As always, there are some representatives from Serie A in the squad for these games, especially now that their coach is the Italian legend Ancelotti.

Roma winger Wesley Franca has impressed since moving to the Stadio Olimpico and gets a call, with five senior caps already under his belt.

Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, who has fully recovered from a serious injury, is also included for the first time since 2024.

Notably, despite reports that he had done enough to win back a spot in the team, there is no room for Neymar.

Inter’s versatile figure Carlos Augusto is also left behind.

Former Juventus players Alex Sandro and Danilo are included in defence.

CONVOCADOS!

O mister Ancelotti divulgou a lista de jogadores convocados para os amistosos contra França e Croácia, nos dias 26 e 31 de março, nos Estados Unidos.

BATE NO PEITO!

ISSO É BRASIL pic.twitter.com/qT9zVAn6Gl

— brasil (@CBF_Futebol) March 16, 2026

Moise Kean is only fit for the bench, so Roberto Piccoli and Albert Gudmundsson lead the Fiorentina attack against Cremonese’s Federico Bonazzoli and Milan Djuric in a relegation battle.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

This result could well decide who stays up and who drops into Serie B this summer, because going into this game Fiorentina are in 17^th place on 25 points and Cremonese are in the drop zone in 18^th on 24 points.

If Pisa and Verona are most likely doomed, then only Lecce and Cagliari could still get sucked into the danger zone, as the Sardinians are on 30 points.

Fiorentina also have to balance this with their Conference League commitments, as they beat Rakow 2-1 with a Gudmundsson stoppage-time penalty on Thursday and have the second leg of that Round of 16 tie coming up in Poland on March 19.

Their Serie A form had suffered with one point from the last two rounds and zero goals scored.

Hitman Kean is back on the bench after an ankle issue, but Niccolò Fortini joins Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey on the absentee list.

Gudmundsson and Piccoli therefore lead the attack, with support from Marco Brescianini and Rolando Mandragora.

Cremonese had started the season so well, but their last victory was 2-0 against Lecce on December 7.

That was followed by just four draws and 10 defeats, losing the last three on the bounce.

It’s clear where the problems are, scoring only four goals in their last 14 games.

To make matters worse, former Leicester City striker and Premier League winner Jamie Vardy is injured with a bruised thigh, forced to watch from the stands with Federico Baschirotto, Michele Collocolo and suspended Giuseppe Pezzella.

At least Faris Moumbagna has recovered for a spot on the bench and Filippo Terracciano is back from his ban.

David Okereke had been frozen out for several months, but was brought back into the fold for a substitute appearance in the 2-1 loss to Lecce.

Cremonese vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Cremonese: Audero; Folino, Ceccherini, Luperto; Floriani Mussolini, Thorsby, Bondo, Maleh, Barbieri; Bonazzoli, Djuric

Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fagioli; Parisi, Mandragora, Brescianini, Gudmundsson; Piccoli

16-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giovanni Zini

Cremonese

Fiorentina

1 - 4

Player statistic

1st half

		25'		Fabiano Parisi (Assist: Rolando Mandragora)
Warren Bondo		27'
		32'		Roberto Piccoli (Assist: Robin Gosens)

2nd half

		49'		Dodô (Assist: Albert Gudmundsson)
David Okereke (Assist: Federico Ceccherini)		57'
		70'		Albert Gudmundsson (Assist: Roberto Piccoli)

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

13

Total shots

13

3

Shots on target

6

8

Shots off target

3

2

Blocked shots

4

4

Corners

6

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

16

Cremonese

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

80'

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

69'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

55'

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

46'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

62'

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

81'

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

89'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

4

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

81'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

75'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

76'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

14

Faris Moumbagna

Attacker

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

30

Mika Faye

Defender

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

55'

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

62'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

69'

24

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

80'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

75'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

76'

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

81'

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

81'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

89'

Reports are growing that Juventus will try to poach Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini as a free agent this summer, as requested by Luciano Spalletti.

The two clubs are duelling for the fourth Champions League qualifying spot this season, although Como are currently the ones who have snuck in to snatch it from both of them.

Next term we could see Pellegrini in the black and white stripes of Juventus, as the Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Spalletti has asked for them to target the midfielder.

Pellegrini set to be released by Roma

Despite scoring some big goals for them in the Derby della Capitale against Lazio and in last week’s Europa League Round of 16 draw with Bologna, there seems to be no real desire to extend his contract.

Pellegrini turns 30 in June and will be a free agent a couple of weeks later, ending a lifetime in the Giallorossi jersey.

He was a product of their youth academy and spent his entire career with Roma, other than a brief two-year spell from 2015 to 2017 at Sassuolo.

This means that Pellegrini never actually worked under Spalletti during either of the coach’s previous two tenures at the Stadio Olimpico, yet the current Juve boss is an admirer and feels he can bring something new to their midfield.

The tension between Como and Roma escalated again after Assane Diao made a provocative Instagram post about the controversial Wesley red card.

The Lariani came back from a goal down to win 2-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia last night, thanks also to the fact that their opponents were reduced to 10 men.

That incident saw Wesley receive a second yellow card, although his contact with Diao seemed minimal at best, with Devyne Rensch more likely to have contributed to the Como man going over.

Diao incident fuels tension

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini was furious and suggested in his post-match interviews that Como were “regulars” at this sort of behaviour, refusing to shake the hand of Cesc Fabregas.

So when Diao posted on Instagram several photos of the match, including the Wesley challenge, with the caption “That’s how we do it,” the response was swift.

They ranged from Roma fans noting it was “hardly normal for you to post this after stealing a match” to others assuring they will “remember this and be waiting when you come to the Stadio Olimpico.”

Many simply replied with gifs of dives into swimming pools and off cliffs.

There are always some who go too far, and they expressed hope that the player will suffer a relapse of his serious knee ligament injury.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Assane Diao (@assandiao.8)

Milan’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio has confirmed a remarkable statistic showing how badly the team struggles without Adrien Rabiot, as Ardon Jashari comes under fire.

The Rossoneri had seen their Scudetto hopes revitalised by the Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter, cutting the lead at the top of the table to seven points.

A win yesterday would’ve closed that even further to just five points, but instead they capitulated at the Stadio Olimpico.

Milan badly miss Rabiot

Rabiot was suspended for the Lazio game and it is probably no coincidence that they faltered, because Milan have an average of 2.42 points per match with the France international in the squad this season.

In his absence, that average plummets to just 1.40 points per game.

There are two alternative options who can stand in for him, namely Samuele Ricci and last night’s pick Jashari.

The latter has come under particular criticism from fans, as after weeks of tense negotiations with Club Brugge and a €40m deal, he has struggled to make an impact.

It wasn’t helped by a serious injury in one of his first training sessions, but Jashari has made just 12 appearances for Milan, contributing one assist.

Since arriving from Olympique Marseille on transfer deadline day, Rabiot has scored four goals and provided five assists in 23 matches for the Rossoneri.

He was injured during a run of three draws and two victories in October and November 2025, including stalemates with Pisa, Atalanta and Parma.

Rabiot was suspended for the 1-1 draw with Como, and 1-0 defeat to Lazio.

The only losses he was present for were 1-0 to Parma in Serie A, 2-0 to Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana, and 1-0 to Lazio in the Coppa Italia.

Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi insists calls for Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni to be dropped by the Italy squad over his simulation against Juventus are unfair because ‘he admitted to his mistake.’

The centre-back caused controversy when he simulated a foul from Juve opponent Pierre Kalulu during their Serie A match, getting him sent off with a second yellow card.

Bastoni then celebrated wildly when the referee pulled out the card, knowing that VAR protocol meant the decision could not be overturned.

Although he has since apologised, Kalulu was still forced to sit out a one-match ban, and Bastoni has been loudly jeered in every game by opposition fans.

Bastoni faced calls for Italy snub

Minister for Sport and Youth Abodi was pressed today on whether it was right to suggest Bastoni be dropped from the Italy squad over this incident.

“I believe you are called up not just for your technical qualities as a player, but also your behaviour,” replied Abodi.

“Bastoni was clear-headed enough to admit to his mistake.”

As for the jeers from the fans, Abodi also pointed out that “respect is supreme in sport, and everyone does what they see is fit.”

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has not commented publicly on the situation, but it seems unlikely that he will snub the Inter defender for the upcoming 2026 World Cup play-offs against Northern Ireland.

If there is a victory in Bergamo on March 26, then the Azzurri will play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final five days later.

It proved to be quite the weekend for Lecce forward Lameck Banda, as after he collapsed during the Serie A game with Napoli, he was released from hospital just in time for the birth of his daughter.

The 25-year-old had a scare at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona when he received a knock to the chest and was struggling to breathe.

When he went down clutching his chest, Napoli coach Antonio Conte was the first to spot it and immediately called the Lecce medical staff over to help.

Whirlwind weekend for Banda

Although he did not appear to lose consciousness, Banda was struggling to breathe, so was taken to hospital and kept in overnight for observation.

The Zambia international was given the all-clear and returned home just in time, because he got to be present at the birth of his daughter.

It was confirmed in a statement by Lecce, who welcomed little Rumi Ezlyn Banda into the world today.

He has been at Lecce since 2022 and so far this season contributed three goals with three assists in 24 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

La meravigliosa storia di Banda: dimesso dall’ospedale Cardarelli di Napoli, raggiunge Lecce giusto in tempo per la nascita della primogenita Rumi Ezlyn.
L’abbraccio di tutto il Club a Lameck e alla compagna in questa meravigliosa giornata! pic.twitter.com/VgYXYJKyOm

— U.S. Lecce (@OfficialUSLecce) March 16, 2026

Max Allegri’s agent points out Rafael Leao is ‘obviously not giving a big contribution’ this season, but his substitution tantrum must be treated with kid gloves. ‘He’s a source of income for the club.’

The striker reacted angrily when hauled off just 67 minutes into last night’s 1-0 Serie A defeat to Lazio, which left them eight points adrift of leaders Inter.

He sulkily walked slowly to the touchline, to the degree that goalkeeper Mike Maignan ran halfway up the pitch to physically push him off it, and then resisted Allegri’s attempts at a reassuring hug.

Rafael Leão wasn’t happy about being subbed in the 66th minute during AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio pic.twitter.com/v42C5EpG6u

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2026

Leao behaviour is frustrating for Milan

When Allegri’s agent Giovanni Branchini was asked if the coach will punish his player for this show of disrespect, the response was telling.

“Club dynamics are complicated,” Branchini told Radio Anch’io Sport on Radio 1.

“Leao is a source of income for the club and therefore various factors have to be taken into consideration. This season he is obviously not giving a big contribution to the team, that is clear for all to see.

“He remains an important player and will be defended to the end, just as Allegri did after the match last night, despite the brusque epilogue of the substitution.”

While this sort of behaviour is not new for the Portugal international, Leao is now 26 years old and the highest-paid player in the Milan squad.

The club is growing frustrated at his continuing immaturity, as confirmed by director of sport Igli Tare in the stands, caught on camera muttering “look at this, what is he doing” when Leao slowly trudged off the field.

According to MilanNews.it, Leao’s current contract runs to June 2028 and the club has put any talk of an extension on ice, because they want him to earn a new deal.

He has contributed 10 goals and two assists in 24 competitive games this term, largely playing in a new centre-forward role in a 3-5-2 formation.

Italy’s World Cup play-offs could see them take on Wales, but it is now confirmed Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore won’t be part of that potential tie due to injury.

The Azzurri risk missing out on the third consecutive edition of the World Cup, after failing in the play-offs for 2018 and 2022.

Italy road to 2026 World Cup is via play-offs

They will host Northern Ireland in Bergamo in the semi-final on March 26, then if victorious will go on to play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final five days later.

It is therefore important to take note of the Wales squad, and Moore is not going to be a part of it, as confirmed by Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.

“He’s got this tendon injury which he feels OK with, but he’s shown up on the scan and it’s one of those injuries that, up to 80-85% you’re fine, but if you extend beyond that you make yourself susceptible to muscle injuries.”

The 33-year-old centre-forward has 15 goals in 52 senior caps for Wales.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso is set to name his squad list for the World Cup play-offs over the next few days.

Mario Gila and Gustav Isaksen confess the return of Lazio fans after weeks of boycotting the Stadio Olimpico was decisive against Milan. ‘They are the extra man, it’s undeniable.’

The Aquile had been in crisis, but this was their second consecutive Serie A victory, and confidence is growing.

After beating Sassuolo last week, they managed to push past Scudetto-chasing Milan thanks to the Isaksen strike on a long Adam Marusic ball, shrugging off Pervis Estupinan.

Lazio fans inspire success over Milan

“It was an incredible atmosphere and we had really missed this feeling,” Isaksen told DAZN Italia.

“The players and staff are great people, they help me every day, and I wanted to dedicate the goal to them as a well as the fans”

Above all, Lazio found inspiration from the crowd, as the fans suspended the boycott of the Stadio Olimpico that had left the stadium painfully empty and desolate in recent weeks.

They put on a remarkable atmosphere for this big match, so the team and staff celebrated under the Curva Nord after the final whistle.

“It is very different feeling the supporters behind us, they are the extra man, it’s undeniable,” Gila told DAZN Italia.

“We saw their influence tonight and put in a great performance. We had a lot of difficulties this season, but are seeing a different Lazio in the last three or four games, we can feel that energy on the pitch. We have matured thanks to these obstacles, and this was a great signal.”

Lazio might find it very difficult to close up the gap to the European places, but they can still win a trophy and qualify for UEFA competition.

They are in the Coppa Italia semi-final after a 2-2 first leg home draw with Atalanta.

“If we play like this, then we can have a different energy, so we want to keep the momentum going in Serie A and towards the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final,” concluded Gila.

Maurizio Sarri said that the return of Lazio fans to the Stadio Olimpico after weeks of protest made it ‘a memorable night regardless of the result’ of their victory over Milan.

It was already a positive night before kick-off, as the fans suspended their boycott in protest at President Claudio Lotito, and returned to the stands of the Stadio Olimpico.

They helped inspire the team to a huge victory, as Gustav Isaksen shrugged off Pervis Estupinan to beat Mike Maignan in what proved to be the only goal of the game.

Sarri emotional at Lazio atmosphere

“The whole night was emotional, as seeing the Stadio Olimpico with this spectacular atmosphere and these fans was wonderful. I am so happy that the team gave them this joy of a victory, but it would’ve been a memorable night regardless of the result,” Sarri told DAZN Italia.

“I feel that we should’ve finished the first half with more than a one-goal advantage, so if there was a criticism of our performance, it’s that,” responded the coach.

“Clearly, we couldn’t maintain the intensity of that half, and had limited options to take off the bench, so that made it difficult as it wore on.”

With a large injury crisis ruling out Danilo Cataldi, Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot, Sarri seems to have found a worthy replacement midfielder in Gil Patric.

“I wouldn’t use this match for comparison to any other this season, because the lads were galvanised and motivated by the return of the fans,” insisted the coach.

“The atmosphere at the Olimpico was special tonight. This is a team that is improving in many areas, and we hope to lay solid foundations for the future.”

Sarri was sent off deep into stoppages for dissent, largely as he was complaining that the six minutes of added time had already expired.

It has been a difficult campaign with issues off the field, including a transfer embargo he had not been expecting, and the on-going tension between the fans and President Lotito.

“It has been certainly the most difficult season of perhaps not my career, as I had tough ones in Serie C, but certainly the toughest in Serie A. The squad also needs to be praised, because they could’ve fallen apart, but they have overall kept training with the right attitude and maintaining their character.”

Can this night potentially change the atmosphere around Lazio for the final weeks of the season, including the Coppa Italia semi-final with Atalanta?

“I don’t know, to be honest. What I heard from the fans is that this was a one-off, but I hope this wonderful atmosphere struck them as much as it struck us, and that the situation can be fixed, although I don’t know how quickly that can happen,” confessed Sarri.

“I don’t want to make an appeal to the fans, because when people make decisions, they are to be respected, even when those decisions are painful.”

Max Allegri hopes the defeat to Lazio means people will stop asking Milan about the Scudetto, and explains why Rafael Leao ‘was annoyed’ at his substitution.

This had been a big opportunity for the Rossoneri to ride the wave of enthusiasm from the Derby della Madonnina success and take advantage of Inter’s draw with Atalanta to close the gap at the top to five points.

Instead, they lost 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico and Inter’s lead is expanded to eight points, while Napoli are now only one point behind the Rossoneri in third place.

Lazio were repeatedly attacking Pervis Estupinan down the right flank, and he stumbled when Gustav Isaksen went clear on the long Adam Marusic ball to beat Mike Maignan in the only goal of the game.

Allegri gives reasons for Milan stumble

“We knew the difficulties of this match, as the fans were returning to the stadium and it was very important for Lazio,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“Their first half was very strong, we should’ve been a little more organised and made fewer errors. They ran hard and fell away after the break, we had a lot more intensity and poured forward, but were unable to make it count with a goal. This is football.”

More worryingly, they are closer to Juventus in fifth now than to the leaders, as the advantage for a Champions League spot is only seven points.

“What we absolutely must do now is press the reset button. People talked about the Scudetto after the win over Inter, but we have to be realistic in life,” added the coach.

“We need to remember that the objective is Champions League qualification, otherwise we risk destroying all that we have built over the last six months.”

There was also tension when Allegri substituted Rafael Leao at the 68^th minute, as the Portugal international reacted angrily to being hauled off.

He walked so slowly towards the touchline that Maignan ran over to push him off, then resisted Allegri’s attempts to hug him, before kicking away bottles on the Milan bench.

“Leao was a bit annoyed because he had some situations where he could’ve had better service, so he was a bit angry, but these things can happen during a match,” assured Allegri.

“All the lads wanted to win, first and foremost to break away from the chasing pack, because Juventus are only seven points behind us now. It’s a long season still, we need to stay focused and do better on the situations we got wrong in the first half.”

It is perhaps no coincidence that Milan lost here, as they have struggled in the absence of Adrien Rabiot, who sat out a ban this evening.

However, the coach did not agree with suggestions Milan were too passive and sat back in the first half.

“I think we made too many technical errors in the first half and allowed far too many counter-attacks. Even before the goal, we had another couple of situations where we were all ahead of the ball and had acres of space behind us, you should not concede goals like this,” noted Allegri.

“We stepped up a gear after the break and had many favourable situations, but couldn’t make them count. It’s not that we waited for Lazio, I think we allowed more counter-attacks tonight than throughout the rest of the season.

“If you lose the ball in the opposition half, then either you win it back straight away or you get caught on the counter, there’s no other way out of that situation. We lost a lot of duels in the first half, such as one between De Winter and Maldini, so when you go too softly into those challenges, of course you’ll lose the ball.

“After the break, we were a lot stronger into those duels, and therefore kept Lazio pinned back into their half. It’s difficult to explain why they were soft in those duels, because the lads prepared well and knew the importance of the game.

“I think we made too many errors in general, we accepted going man-for-man with them tonight, and often it didn’t work, leaving De Winter alone against Maldini.”

Milan’s Scudetto dream crumbled as soon as it had opened up, as Gustav Isaksen gave Lazio the 1-0 victory, and Rafael Leao reacted angrily to a substitution.

The Rossoneri blew the Scudetto race open with their victory in the Derby della Madonnina and were handed another big opportunity to close the gap after Inter drew 1-1 with Atalanta yesterday. Adrien Rabiot sat out a ban, with Matteo Gabbia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Santiago Gimenez injured, so Ardon Jashari stepped into midfield. The Aquile ended their negative streak by beating Sassuolo 2-1, but more importantly the ultras suspended their boycott and returned to the Stadio Olimpico. Danilo Cataldi joined Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot on the treatment table, so Gil Patric took on a new midfield role.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Pervis Estupinan saw his diving header flash wide from an Alexis Saelemaekers cross, but moments later Kenneth Taylor smacked a shot against the crossbar from a tricky angle after good work from Daniel Maldini.

Lazio had been repeatedly attacking Estupinan down the right flank and it paid off, as he stumbled when Gustav Isaksen got onto a long Adam Marusic ball, beating Mike Maignan one-on-one at the near post.

Lazio take the lead over AC Milan, and it's Gustav Isaksen who runs clear of the Milan defence to slot past Maignan!

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/2HlCxNbTL0

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 15, 2026

Maldini also held off Koni De Winter to test Maignan on another counter-attack, but after the restart Edoardo Motta flew for a one-handed save on Christian Pulisic’s strike, with Youssouf Fofana’s weak follow-up header.

At the other end, Dele-Bashiru flashed a ball across the face of goal, then as the move concluded, Maignan had to be alert to prevent Estupinan nodding into his own net.

Mario Gila crucially prevented Leao from going clear on the Fofana through ball, then Motta punched a dangerous Pulisic cross off Leao’s head before the American blasted the rebound over.

Rafael Leao was substituted and clearly unhappy with the decision, as Maignan had to rush over to push him off the field while he reacted with irritation when hugged by Max Allegri.

Zachary Athekame’s volley was charged down by Taylor just inside the area, then on 75 minutes Athekame fired in a splendid strike from a corner, but it was disallowed because it struck his arm as he tried to control and turn. If the ball makes contact with the arm just before scoring a goal, then intentionality is irrelevant.

Milan poured forward with a series of corners, Motta punching one off the head of Pavlovic, then Luka Modric fired over from the edge of the area after the referee got in his way.

Nuno Tavares flashed a ball across the six-yard box just beyond Boulaye Dia, while Ardon Jashari blasted wide. Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri saw red for dissent deep into stoppages.

Lazio 1-0 Milan

Isaksen 26 (L)

15-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Olimpico

Lazio

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Gustav Isaksen (Assist: Adam Marusic)

26'

2nd half

		55'		Pervis Estupiñán
Edoardo Motta		70'
Nuno Tavares		81'
Patric		90+5'
Pedro		90+5'

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

7

Total shots

17

2

Shots on target

3

2

Shots off target

8

3

Blocked shots

6

1

Corners

9

3

Offsides

4

7

Fouls

19

Lazio

Milan

Starting lineups

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

34

Mario Gila

Defender

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

4

Patric

Defender

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

67'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

90'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

67'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

83'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

57'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

57'

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

84'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

67'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

9

Pedro

Attacker

67'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

67'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

83'

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

90'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

57'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

57'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

67'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

67'

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

84'

Milan director Igli Tare brushes off Moise Kean talk, is confident Luka Modric will extend his contract, and warns ‘the season is full of surprises’ as a win against Lazio would reopen the Scudetto race.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

There have been reports over the last few days that Milan will target Fiorentina striker Moise Kean for the future of their attack, reuniting with ex-Juventus coach Max Allegri.

“It’s pointless talking about this now, that won’t be discussed for a few months,” replied Tare when pressed on Kean by DAZN Italia.

“It is fundamental that we win the game tonight not just for the table, but also to give a sense of consistency following the derby, so there will be plenty of time to talk about the rest.”

Tare and Milan ready to put pressure on Inter

The Rossoneri have a huge opportunity to blow the Scudetto race wide open, as after last week’s Derby della Madonnina victory, they also watched leaders Inter held 1-1 by Atalanta yesterday.

It means a win here would close the gap at the top to just five points with nine rounds left to play.

“Honestly, we have to focus on ourselves and try to win. It is a big gap still, but a win here would close the gap, and we need to take it one step at a time, because the season is full of surprises,” smiled Tare.

Milan lost here in December for the Coppa Italia quarter-final, beaten by a Mattia Zaccagni header on the Nuno Tavares corner.

As a former Lazio player and director, Tare knows the atmosphere well at the Stadio Olimpico, and saw that the local ultras suspended their boycott, so are present in the stands tonight.

“We talked about it during the week, we’d prefer to play in a full stadium, because this is the joy of football. Lazio are going through a difficult transition period, but they remain a team that can beat anyone on the right day.

“We are aware of all that and want to win tonight.”

Adrien Rabiot is suspended, with Matteo Gabbia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Santiago Gimenez injured, so Ardon Jashari step into midfield with Luka Modric.

The Croatian has found a second wind for his career in the Rossoneri jersey, so will he extend his contract to 2027?

“One thing for sure is that Luka loves Milan, and Milan love Luka. As we said at the start of the season, we have an option to extend, but the decision is up to him. He’ll be given the time and space he needs to decide, but he really enjoys playing for us,” concluded Tare.

Maurizio Sarri says the return of Lazio supporters after their boycott is ‘decisive’ and explains his midfield changes against Milan. ‘We’ve got to make do.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The big news for the Biancocelesti is that the ultras have suspended their protest against President Claudio Lotito, so they are back in the stands of the Stadio Olimpico after several weeks of leaving the arena desolately empty.

“The fans are decisive for us and having them back is wonderful. These are things people from the outside cannot understand fully,” Sarri told DAZN Italia.

Sarri has to rearrange Lazio squad

Lazio ended their negative streak by beating Sassuolo 2-1 last week, but Danilo Cataldi picked up an injury, joining Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot on the treatment table.

Rather than Rade Belahyane in midfield, Sarri prefers to move defender Gil Patric into that position instead.

“We are without Rovella, Cataldi, Basic, and sold Vecino, so we’ve got to make do. Patric is good at passing, he can give us something there, and did well in the second half of the last game.

“We’ve got to be very careful not to lose the ball cheaply, as Milan can be lethal in these situations, so we mustn’t be wasteful, and have to be alert with preventative marking,” concluded the coach.

The Aquile knocked Milan out of the Coppa Italia quarter-final on December 4, with a late header from Mattia Zaccagni on the Nuno Tavares corner.

Como fought back from a Donyell Malen penalty to beat 10-man Roma after Wesley’s controversial red card, leaping into that fourth Champions League spot.

This was an unexpected duel for Champions League qualification, as both teams were locked together in fourth place, albeit overtaken when Juventus beat Udinese last night. The hosts were coming off three consecutive victories, missing Jayden Addai with Maxi Perrone not fully fit, but surprised with a three-man defence. The Giallorossi still missed Matias Soulé, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, with Evan Ndicka suspended. Manu Koné returned after skipping Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League draw with Bologna, while Mario Hermoso got his first start since February 2 and Stephan El Shaarawy since January 6.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Como got into a tangle playing out from the back and El Shaarawy pounced on the loose ball, brought down by Diego Carlos for an early penalty, converted hard and low into the near bottom corner by Donyell Malen.

Nico Paz responded by testing Mile Svilar from a tricky angle, as did Alex Valle on the half-volley, while Wesley made a series of decisive blocks, including one to prevent a Sergi Roberto tap-in.

Jacobo Ramon only managed to get his thigh to the Maxence Caqueret cross and flicked it inches wide of the far post from six yards.

Como had a big chance just before half-time when Caqueret drew out Svilar and pulled it back generously for Nico Paz, only for the Argentine to fire over the bar.

Cesc Fabregas made a double attacking change at the restart and they paid off, because Tasos Douvikas sprung the offside trap on a Valle through ball and surprised Svilar at the base of the near post, squirming the finish under the goalkeeper’s body.

There were chances at both ends, first Svilar flapping a loose ball away from Nico Paz mid-volley, then Malen’s counter-attack denied by a desperate block.

It went from bad to worse for Roma, because they went down to 10 men when Wesley was very harshly shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Assane Diao. There seemed to be barely any contact, with Devyne Rensch more likely to have contributed to his fall, but the VAR protocol meant they could not intervene.

Da Cunha nutmegged Robinio Vaz for a curler inches wide of the far top corner from outside the box, then Martin Baturina turned over first-time from a similar position on the Douvikas lay-off.

Svilar flew to palm a Diao strike out from under the bar, then got down to parry the Ivan Smolcic low drive, but could do nothing as Diego Carlos pounced on the rebound from six yards. It was an ideal birthday gift, his first Serie A goal.

Da Cunha nearly added a third when he cut inside from the right and smashed a left-foot finish onto the crossbar.

Como 2-1 Roma

Malen pen 7 (R), Douvikas 59 (C), Diego Carlos 79 (C)

Sent off: Wesley 64 (R)

15-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Como

Roma

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

7'

Donyell Malen

2nd half

		48'		Wesley
Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Álex Valle)		59'
Maxence Caqueret		63'
		64'		Wesley
Diego Carlos		73'
		77'		Daniele Ghilardi
Diego Carlos		79'

Match statistic

66

Possession %

34

22

Total shots

3

7

Shots on target

1

7

Shots off target

1

8

Blocked shots

1

7

Corners

1

0

Offsides

1

16

Fouls

18

Como

Roma

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

46'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

67'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

77'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

46'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

87'

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

22

Mario Hermoso

Defender

70'

43

Wesley

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

70'

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Midfielder

67'

17

Manu Koné

Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

67'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

56'

Substitutes

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

46'

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

46'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

67'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

77'

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

87'

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

56'

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

67'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

67'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

70'

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

70'

Milan can close the gap at the top of the table to just five points with a victory here, so Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic lead the way against Lazio’s Daniel Maldini and Mattia Zaccagni.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The Rossoneri blew the Scudetto race open last week with their victory in the Derby della Madonnina, but as Inter were held to a 1-1 draw by Atalanta yesterday, it gives them an even bigger opportunity to close within five points of the leaders.

Max Allegri is forced into a change, as Adrien Rabiot is suspended, with Matteo Gabbia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Santiago Gimenez are still injured.

Modric is therefore joined in midfield by Ardon Jashari, while Pervis Estupinan keeps his spot ahead of Davide Bartesaghi.

Leao and Pulisic lead the attack, with Alexis Saelemaekers out wide.

Lazio have received two big pieces of good news in the last week, as they ended their negative streak by beating Sassuolo 2-1, and the ultras suspended their boycott.

That means the crowd returns to the stands with chants, flags and fireworks, having protested President Claudio Lotito over the last few weeks.

However, there is also bad news for Maurizio Sarri, as Danilo Cataldi joins Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot on the treatment table.

Gil Patric is moved into a new midfield role behind Zaccagni, Gustav Isaksen and former Milan youth team player Maldini.

Lazio vs. Milan line-ups

Lazio: Motta; Marusic, Gila, Provstgaard, Nuno Tavares; Dele-Bashiru, Patric, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Zaccagni

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Jashari, Estupinan; Leao, Pulisic

15-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Olimpico

Lazio

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Gustav Isaksen (Assist: Adam Marusic)

26'

2nd half

		55'		Pervis Estupiñán
Edoardo Motta		70'
Nuno Tavares		81'
Patric		90+5'
Pedro		90+5'

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

7

Total shots

17

2

Shots on target

3

2

Shots off target

8

3

Blocked shots

6

1

Corners

9

3

Offsides

4

7

Fouls

19

Lazio

Milan

Starting lineups

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

34

Mario Gila

Defender

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

4

Patric

Defender

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

67'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

90'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

67'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

83'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

57'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

57'

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

84'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

67'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

9

Pedro

Attacker

67'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

67'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

83'

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

90'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

57'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

57'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

67'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

67'

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

84'