Lazio vs AC Milan: Gattuso Faces His Former Club in a High-Stakes Serie A Clash

Lazio vs AC Milan promises to be one of the standout fixtures of Serie A Matchday 4 when the sides meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Kick-off is scheduled for 6:00pm CEST on September 12, 2026, with Lazio arriving in excellent form and Milan looking to maintain their unbeaten start.

Lazio Aim to Keep Perfect Start Alive

Lazio have made an impressive beginning to the new campaign, winning their opening three Serie A matches.

Gennaro Gattuso's side have collected maximum points against Bologna, Genoa and Udinese, putting them among the early leaders.

The latest victory came at Udinese, where Lazio recovered from falling behind to win 2-1. Davide Frattesi continued his excellent start with another goal, while Albert Gudmundsson provided the decisive contribution.

The challenge now becomes considerably tougher.

Milan represent Lazio's first major test of the campaign, and Gattuso will have the added storyline of facing the club where he spent much of his legendary playing career.

Milan Looking for a Stronger Finish

AC Milan have also started the season positively under Ruben Amorim.

The Rossoneri collected seven points from their first three league matches, beating Torino and Venezia before drawing 1-1 away to Juventus last weekend.

Milan appeared set to leave Turin with all three points after teenager Alphadjo Cissé opened the scoring, but Federico Gatti's late equaliser denied them victory.

Amorim will therefore want his team to respond immediately in Rome.

Pulisic Could Finally Return

One of the biggest talking points surrounding Milan is Christian Pulisic.

The United States international has yet to feature for Milan this season after dealing with injury problems, although Amorim has indicated that he is ready to play.

Pulisic's potential return gives Milan another important attacking option, even if he is initially used from the bench.

Meanwhile, Yunus Musah has been a consistent presence and is expected to continue in midfield.

Lazio Team News

Lazio have confirmed their squad for the match, with Andrea Pinamonti included after recovering from an ankle problem suffered against Udinese.

However, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Nicolò Rovella and Adam Marušić remain unavailable, while Patric is also absent.

Pinamonti is expected to lead the attack, supported by Mattia Zaccagni and either Gustav Isaksen or Matteo Cancellieri.

Milan Team News

Milan are expected to continue with Amorim's three-at-the-back system.

Mike Maignan should start in goal, with Mario Gila, Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlović forming the defensive trio.

Luka Modrić and Yunus Musah are expected to operate in midfield, while Samuel Chukwueze could return to the starting XI.

Pulisic could provide an attacking boost during the second half if Amorim decides against starting him.

The Tactical Battle

The central battle could come in midfield.

Lazio have relied on the energy of Frattesi alongside Reda Belahyane and Kenneth Taylor, while Milan have experience and control through Modrić.

For Lazio, the priority will be maintaining their defensive organisation while finding opportunities for Zaccagni and Isaksen to attack Milan's wing-backs.

Milan, meanwhile, will look to exploit the spaces created when Lazio's full-backs push forward.

Recent History Favours Lazio

Recent meetings provide another reason for Milan to be cautious.

The Rossoneri lost both of their visits to the Olimpico against Lazio last season, including a league meeting and a cup fixture.

That record adds another layer of pressure to an already intriguing contest.

Prediction: Lazio 1–1 AC Milan

Lazio's perfect start makes them difficult to overlook, particularly at home.

Milan, however, have shown enough during their opening three matches to suggest they can compete with the league leaders.

With both teams possessing dangerous attacking options but also plenty of respect for the opposition, a 1-1 draw looks like a realistic outcome.

Lazio vs AC Milan could ultimately come down to which side handles the pressure better.