Massimiliano Allegri urged AC Milan supporters to stay calm after the 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana semi-final defeat to Napoli at Al-Awwal Park, stressing that the main target remains a Serie A top-four finish, with the team sitting second and one point behind Inter in the league table.
The coach reminded reporters that Milan’s final competitive match of 2025 comes against Hellas Verona on 28 December, and said the squad must quickly reset in Italy, protect their solid domestic form and avoid letting one knockout loss damage confidence ahead of the Serie A run-in.
Asked if AC Milan might soon abandon the back three and return to a back four, Allegri did not commit to tactical changes, instead stressing patience and perspective, and underlining the club’s
primary target for this campaign in a message clearly aimed at both players and supporters.
"One match can't overturn three months of work," Allegri told reporters in his post-match press conference. "We need to analyse things with serenity. Only calm can help us achieve our objective, which is finishing in the top four. "
Data from the Opta supercomputer backs Allegri’s focus on stability, giving AC Milan an 83.4% probability of ending the Serie A season inside the top four and a 16.6% chance of missing out on the Champions League positions despite the setback in the Supercoppa Italiana.
Napoli advanced to the Supercoppa Italiana final thanks to goals from David Neres and Rasmus Hojlund, with Neres scoring six minutes before half-time and Hojlund adding a powerful second just after the hour mark, leaving AC Milan unable to respond despite periods of pressure in Riyadh.
The defeat continued a troubling pattern for AC Milan, who have now conceded the opening goal in four straight competitive fixtures, after falling behind only twice across their first 15 matches of the 2025 season in all competitions, raising questions about concentration and defensive balance.
AC Milan created opportunities against Napoli, finishing with 14 attempts and an expected goals figure of 1.28, but only three efforts required saves from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, underlining issues with shot quality and decision-making in advanced areas despite some promising possession in the final third.
The goals conceded drew the sharpest criticism from Allegri, as David Neres finished from close range after Mike Maignan failed to deal with Rasmus Hojlund’s cross, while Koni De Winter struggled against Hojlund’s speed and strength before the forward drove in Napoli’s second from inside the penalty area.
"We faced a strong Napoli, and we knew that," the Milan boss added. "We could have done better on the two goals. It was a well-played match by both teams, but they defended better and deserved to win. We had favourable moments and managed the ball quite well.We needed to attack the box better. If you make mistakes like we did for the first goal, you must defend better. When you concede two goals in three consecutive matches that could have been avoided, you have to understand how to do better. "
Defeat in the Supercoppa. pic.twitter.com/IrSnqcTjP7AC Milan (@acmilan) December 18, 2025
This 2-0 reverse means AC Milan lose a match without scoring while conceding at least two goals in all competitions for the first time since a 2-0 defeat to Juventus in January, adding further weight to Allegri’s call for calm analysis as the club turns back to Serie A.
