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Massimiliano Allegri praised AC Milan’s resilience as they were able to hang in there against Como and eventually take their chances at the other end.
Milan started the game badly as they conceded from yet another corner, this time via a Marc-Oliver Kempf header. However, Christopher Nkunku’s penalty just before the break brought them level against the run of play, and gave them the foothold they clearly needed.
An inspired Mike Maignan kept out Nico Paz and Da Cunho among others, then Adrien Rabiot netted twice at the other end – early and late in the second half – to bank a precious three points for the Rossoneri.
The win moves them three points clear of Napoli and three points behind Inter. Milan boss Max Allegri spoke to DAZN after the final whistle to analyse his side’s performance, with his comments relayed by Football Italia.
You seemed to start with a four-man defence, then revert to a 3-5-2…
“We started playing with four midfielders in possession, trying to create more passing lines with Fofana, but we lost our unity after going behind and ran quite a few risks on their through balls and counter-attacks, so Maignan kept us alive.
“Once we got back on level terms against a strong Como side that plays very well, and can be dangerous, I moved to three upfront, but after we turned it around and took the lead, I returned to how we started.
“We had other chances too, and so did Como. This is a very resilient team and it wanted the result at all costs.”
What happened with Leao on the penalty? It seemed like he wanted to take it. Was he a bit confused by his role?
“I wanted to give Leao a little more breathing room closer to Nkunku, then open out wide in possession. He was marvellous on the second goal with that first touch to control the cross-field pass and give the assist to Rabiot.
“It’s true he wanted to take the penalty, he is a specialist too, but at that moment I felt that Nkunku should take it. I heard half of the crowd in the stands cheering and was afraid he’d missed it, but then I saw those on my bench celebrate.”
Niclas Fullkrug played as a substitute despite fracturing his toe only a few days ago. Could we see a 4-3-3 more now?
“He came on with the right spirit, but so did the others. Let’s just say it’s not easy to play against Como, and once you go behind, they keep creating chances.
“At that stage, I preferred to bolster the midfield by putting Leao and Saelemaekers out wide to tamp down that Como enthusiasm. Maignan kept us in the game.
“We did well and were also fortunate to equalise with the penalty, but then the game changed completely after the restart.”
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