Lazio 1-1 Milan Primavera: Draw not enough as season ends for Abate’s side

AC MIilan’s Primavera side had their season ended on Saturday evening as they drew 1-1 with Lazio in their play-off, which was not enough to secure progress.

The top six sides in the regular league table go into a play-off to decide who will be the champion, and the sides in question this season are Milan, Inter, Lazio, Atalanta, Roma and Sassuolo. As Inter and Roma were first and second in the table, they go straight into the semi-finals.

The rules stated that if a quarter-final is a draw after 90 minutes, the team with the best placing in the regular season goes through, while in the semi-finals it goes directly to penalties, without extra time. That meant that Milan had to beat Lazio inside 90 minutes.

Milan took the lead in the 16th minute as Davide Bartesaghi got on the scoresheet. A cross from the right side met his run at the far post and he headed into a virtually empty net, and the celebration with Ignazio Abate and the whole team was very touching.

However, Lazio levelled before the break through Sana Fernandes. The Biancocelesti launched a counter-attack which saw the ball worked to the forward on the left side of the box, who beat Noah Raveyre with a low angled shot.

There were some late penalty appeals when Diego Sia went tumbling to the floor in the final minute of five added, but the appeals were waved away and ultimately Milan would not find the second goal they needed.