Lazio forward Matteo Cancellieri put the biancocelesti in front at home against Milan on September 12, contributing to a two-goal first-half advantage that the hosts ultimately could not protect. Milan recovered to draw 2-2, with a double from Moreira cancelling out goals from Cancellieri and Noslin, leaving Gattuso's side with a point where three had seemed certain.
The result matters because it tests the early-season narrative around this Lazio team. Gattuso's side had won three of their first four Serie A matches, dropping only a draw before this one, and sat top of the table on ten points. A home win against Milan would have extended that cushion and reinforced the idea that this squad has the defensive resilience to match its attacking intent. The 2-2 scoreline complicates that picture without dismantling it.
For Cancellieri specifically, the opener carries weight beyond the scoreline. The 24-year-old carries an AI overall of 66 out of 100, with a potential of 72, numbers that suggest a player still building toward his ceiling rather than one already operating at it. Across four Serie A appearances this season he has registered one goal and no assists, with an average rating of 6.95 — a figure that places him as a functional contributor rather than a dominant force, but one trending in the right direction. The goal against Milan is his only scoring contribution across all competitions this season, and arriving against a side of that calibre, it is the kind of moment that can sharpen a forward's confidence.
Gattuso addressed the atmosphere at the Olimpico after the match, noting that the fan boycott made the occasion feel, in his words, like the COVID period — a striking image that underlines how unusual the environment was. Playing in a stadium tilted toward the visiting support is a context that rarely flatters attacking players who feed off home energy, which makes Cancellieri's early contribution more notable rather than less.
The draw keeps Lazio top, but the manner of the result — surrendering a two-goal lead — will demand answers on the training ground. Cancellieri's job now is to ensure that his opener against Milan becomes a platform rather than an isolated highlight.