Okafor strikes late as eight-man Lazio succumb to AC Milan

AC Milan claimed a late 1-0 victory over Lazio in a heated Serie A clash on Friday night. The winner came in the 88th-minute courtesy of substitute Noah Okafor, whose fierce strike capped a period of relentless pressure from the visitors.

The game exploded into life in the second half as Lazio were reduced to 10 men following Luca Pellegrini’s red card seven minutes after he was yellow-carded. Milan looked to capitalise on the extra man, carving out several good opportunities before finally making the breakthrough.

Lazio, which had started brightly, with Felipe Anderson going close early on, allowed Milan the freedom to grow into the game. Ultimately though, Pellegrini’s sending-off proved the turning point.

In a frantic finale, both sides had chances to win it. Ciro Immobile should have scored for Lazio, while Milan saw an effort ruled out for offside before Okafor finally settled matters. To compound Lazio’s misery, Adam Marusic and Matteo Guendouzi also received late red cards as they finished the tie with just eight players.

The result sees Milan move to within a point of second-placed Juventus as the race for UEFA Champions League qualification heats up. For Lazio, attention now turns to improving on their 1-0 against Bayern Munich next week to progress in Europe.