Allegri and a six-game unbeaten run: Milan heading into first derby with a flipped script

The Derby della Madonnina is coming up next for AC Milan, and after the success in the fixture last season, the question is whether Massimiliano Allegri will be able to continue the run. 

The 2024-25 season was tough in many ways, from the eighth-place finish to the defeat against Bologna in the Coppa Italia final. That said, along with the Supercoppa Italiana trophy, the derby record was a positive for the Rossoneri: three wins and two draws.

Paulo Fonseca certainly managed to get the best out of Simone Inzaghi in the first derby of the season, and Sergio Conceicao then continued that with the success in the Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia. In other words, two ‘underdogs’ managed to beat the unbeatable derby manager.

Milan had lost six derbies on the trot prior to Matteo Gabbia’s winner in September last year, and now the script has (almost) flipped: six games without a loss for the Rossoneri, even if they haven’t all ended in wins.

Allegri looking to extend big-game run

The big question, with the above in mind, is whether Allegri will be able to build on Milan’s positive run in the big fixture. So far, he has done well against the main rivals, beating both Napoli and Roma at San Siro. It’s more so the ‘smaller’ teams that he has struggled against.

Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

With Inter being the designated home side, they are still the favourites according to most, but their switch to Christian Chivu means Milan certainly have the upper hand in terms of coaching experience. In such a big game, that can make a big difference.

It’s not just the recent results that have shifted in Milan’s favour, in other words, but also the ‘aura’ on the bench, if we can call it that. That makes the upcoming derby extra interesting, even if you could argue that a derby is about coincidences and individual brilliance.

Indeed, it’s easy to look at the recent results and the managerial changes, but we also have to consider the player material. Here, most would agree that Inter still come out on top. The best starting elevens are probably even, but depth-wise, the Nerazzurri are ahead.

Point being, while the circumstances are very different compared to the first derby of last season, it could still go either way. As Milan fans, we obviously have a better feeling after the recent success against Inter, but so much has changed compared to last season that it likely won’t matter much.