Late goals give Lazio 1st Coppa Italia title since 2013
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic made amends for a disappointing season with one touch on Wednesday.
The Lazio midfielder rose highest to head home the eventual winning goal of the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta, finding the net in the 82nd minute of an otherwise tedious encounter. He had been on the pitch for only three minutes before breaking the deadlock.
Milinkovic-Savic’s goal in the Coppa Italia final to give Lazio the late lead. pic.twitter.com/1XFle1UzD0
— Raffaele (@ItalianoCalcio) May 15, 2019
Joaquin Correa cemented the result with a fabulous solo effort in the 90th minute.
The 2-0 victory gives Lazio their first Coppa Italia crown since 2013, and seventh overall. Only Juventus (13) and bitter city rivals Roma (9) have won the competition more times than the Biancocelesti.
Milinkovic-Savic - who remained with the Serie A club despite intense transfer speculation last summer - has endured a difficult season in the Italian capital, as he struggled to replicate the form he showed during a spectacular 2017-18 campaign.
But his glancing header at the Stadio Olimpico will erase many of those concerns, as the Serbian midfielder salvaged what was a crumbling year for Simone Inzaghi's side.
Lazio have seen their Champions League push fall by the wayside, but are now guaranteed a berth in next season's Europa League by virtue of their cup win.
Atalanta, meanwhile, will now need to refocus their efforts on clinching a top-four spot in Serie A. With two matches remaining on the calendar, they lead both AC Milan and Roma by three points.