AC Milan's manager, Massimiliano Allegri, commended his team's determination following their 1-0 victory over Roma in Serie A. Strahinja Pavlovic netted the decisive goal at San Siro, while Mike Maignan's
penalty save against Paulo Dybala was crucial. This win propelled Milan above Roma into third place in the standings.
Allegri acknowledged that the initial phase of the match was challenging for Milan. "The first 35 minutes, Roma absolutely deserved to take the lead, as we were getting everything wrong that it was possible to get wrong," Allegri told DAZN Italia. The team struggled under Roma's intense pressure and had difficulty breaking free.
To counteract Roma's pressure, Allegri adjusted his strategy by positioning Davide Bartesaghi and Koni De Winter deeper. This change created more space for Milan to manoeuvre. After taking the lead, Milan improved defensively and transitioned to a four-man midfield.
Milan's unbeaten streak now extends to ten matches across all competitions since their opening league loss to Cremonese. In their last 12 Serie A encounters with Roma, they have suffered only one defeat. Allegri emphasised the importance of this victory in building confidence and self-belief within the team.
The absence of experienced players like Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, and Fikayo Tomori provided an opportunity for others to step up. Allegri praised these players for performing well under pressure at San Siro. Despite missing key figures, Milan managed to maintain composure and secure a vital win.
Brothers at the back pic.twitter.com/w1ER00tmcX
- AC Milan (@acmilan) November 2, 2025
Paulo Dybala's missed penalty was notable as it marked his first miss for Roma after 19 attempts. His previous miss from the spot occurred while playing for Juventus against Salernitana in November 2021. Despite Roma's efforts to equalise in the second half, they struggled to create clear scoring chances.
Allegri highlighted that gaining confidence is a gradual process for any team, especially when playing at a venue like San Siro. He expressed satisfaction with how his players adapted and handled the situation despite being under pressure from Roma throughout the match.
