Massimiliano Allegri is confident that AC Milan's recent 1-0 victory over Inter Milan solidifies their position as serious contenders in Serie A. Christian Pulisic scored early in the second half, and Mike Maignan saved a penalty from Hakan Calhanoglu. This win allowed Milan to surpass Inter in the standings, placing them second behind Roma, who lead by two points.
The Opta supercomputer now gives Milan an 18.7% chance of winning the title, while Inter remains favourites at 38.1%, and Roma has a 19.1% probability. Despite facing significant pressure from Inter, who had 20 shots compared to Milan's seven, Allegri is satisfied with the result. He believes the points they have earned reflect their performance.
Allegri told DAZN Italia, "I think the
points we have are what we deserve because we could've drawn easily with Napoli and Roma, so it all balances out. " He emphasised that this match confirmed their season's start when they needed to set the tempo but didn't always manage it.
On a psychological level, Allegri considers this victory crucial for maintaining their top-four position. Milan has now gone six games unbeaten against Inter in all competitions, marking their longest such run since April 2005. Allegri noted that they started tense but improved as the game progressed.
"We had four or five situations where we could have made better choices in the final third," Allegri added. He highlighted the need for more accurate crosses and acknowledged that once they scored, Inter naturally fought back.
Upcoming Challenges
Milan will face Lazio twice soon: first in Serie A on Saturday and then in the Coppa Italia on December 4. Allegri stressed the importance of maintaining intensity throughout matches to avoid becoming vulnerable.
He mentioned that when playing top-level matches, teams tend to stay focused longer. However, letting intensity drop makes them susceptible to conceding goals against teams like Cremonese, Parma, and Pisa.
The win over Inter was not only entertaining but also strategically significant. Allegri praised his team's defensive efforts against Inter's lethal counter-attacks by using preventative marking effectively.
This strategic approach helped contain Rafael Leao during one-on-one situations and ensured Milan remained strong defensively throughout the match.
