Bianchin believes 3-5-2 has become ‘primary option’ for Allegri and Milan

Massimiliano Allegri has seemingly decided to move forward with the three-man backline for the upcoming season, or at least Luca Bianchin believes so. 

Two pre-season friendlies have been played so far and in both of them, Allegri deployed a three-man backline of Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw and Strahinja Pavlovic from start. In the third friendly, against Perth Glory tomorrow, the defence is set to remain unchanged.

In addition to the importance of creating a solid foundation, relying on the same players, this shows that Allegri likes playing three at the back. Initially, reports suggested that he would use a 4-3-3 but even with signings, this might just be an alternative.

Bianchin’s comments

In one of his latest editorials for Gazzetta dello Sport, whilst highlighting that a lot could change between now and September, Luca Bianchin also stated that the three-man backline is the certainty. Not to say that it will be the only formation used, but it’s clearly the favourite.

Photo by AC Milan

“Final decision? Calm down… It’s impossible to predict what AC Milan will look like in September: it’s an equation with six, seven, or eight unknowns. Will Jashari arrive? Who will be the centre-forward? How will the key players fare?

“There are some certainties, though. The three-man defence has become more than an option: it’s now the primary option for AC Milan in 2025-26. Allegri will most likely vary this season, depending on injuries, opponents, and fitness,” he wrote.