Milan crisis deepens after 3rd straight Serie A loss, this time to Lazio

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan fell further into crisis on Sunday as a stoppage-time penalty condemned it to a 2-1 defeat at home to Lazio in the Italian league.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Milan managed to level in the 84th minute but Pedro converted a penalty in the eighth minute of stoppages.

This was Milan's third straight Serie A loss amid a disastrous run that also saw the Rossoneri crash out of the Champions League.

Milan dropped to ninth in the standings and was leapfrogged by Roma after Claudio Ranieri’s team fought back to beat 10-man Como 2-1.

Lazio climbed back into fourth place — a point above Juventus, which hosts Hellas Verona on Monday.

Sixth-placed Bologna rallied to beat relegation-threatened Cagliari 2-1.

Lazio was also looking to get back to winning ways following two Serie A draws and being knocked out of the Italian Cup midweek by Inter Milan, also at San Siro.

Mattia Zaccagni gave Lazio the lead in the 28th minute. His initial attempt was saved by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan but Zaccagni tapped in the rebound.

Milan’s chances of getting something from the match diminished in the 67th when defender Strahinja Pavlovic was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Lazio midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi

Milan neverthless managed to find an equalizer when Rafael Leão whipped in a cross from the left for an unmarked Samuel Chukwueze to head in at the far post.

But there was even later drama when Lazio was awarded a penalty on video review after Maignan brought down visiting forward Gustav Isaksen. Pedro struck the spot kick into the bottom right corner.

Riccardo Orsolini scored twice to help Bologna boost its chances of qualifying for the Champions League again.

Cagliari surprisingly reached the break ahead in Bologna after Roberto Piccoli’s 22nd-minute header.

But Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano made three changes at halftime and his team leveled almost immediately as Orsolini converted a penalty after Cagliari midfielder Mattia Felici fouled Nicolò Cambiaghi — one of those substitutes.

Cambiaghi also rolled the ball across for Orsolini to tap in and complete the turnaround eight minutes later.

Cagliari is three points above the relegation zone.

Substitute Alexis Saelemaekers took just 120 seconds to help Roma turn its match round.

Roma was trailing at home to Como following Lucas Da Cunha’s goal on the stroke of halftime.

But the match changed in the 61st minute. Saelemaekers, who had only just come off the bench, played a one-two with Zeki Çelik and then a stroke of luck saw his effort deflected by Como defender Edoardo Goldaniga, going in off the underside of the crossbar.

It quickly got worse for Como as it almost immediately went down to 10 men when defender Marc-Oliver Kempf was sent off following a second yellow card.

Halftime substitute Artem Dovbyk scored the winner in the 76th, volleying in a cross from Devyne Rensch — who had been on the field for less than two minutes.

It was Roma’s 11th league match unbeaten since a loss at Como on Dec. 15 and sent Ranieri’s team up to eighth, six points below Juventus.

Empoli, which surprisingly knocked defending champion Juventus out of the Italian Cup midweek, drew 1-1 at Genoa to remain in the bottom three, one point from safety.

Torino won 2-0 at bottom club Monza.

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Lazio's Pedro, right, celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Lazio's goalkeeper Ivan Provedel fails to make a save during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

AC Milan's head coach Sergio Conceicao shouts during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

AC Milan's Strahinja Pavlovic walks off the pitch after receiving a red card during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Lazio's Patric, left, and Lazio's goalkeeper Ivan Provedel celebrate after the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Lazio's Pedro celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

AC Milan's Rafael Leao walks off the pitch after the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

AC Milan's head coach Sergio Conceicao walks off the pitch after the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lazio at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Roma's Manu Kone, right, and Como's Lucas Da Cunha, left, challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Como 1907 in Rome, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Roma's Artem Dovbyk celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Como 1907 in Rome, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Cagliari's Roberto Piccoli celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Cagliari at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

Bologna's Riccardo Orsolini, right, celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Cagliari at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

Bologna's Riccardo Orsolini scores during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Cagliari at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

Bologna's Riccardo Orsolini celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Cagliari at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)