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AC Milan are currently preparing for an important clash against Sassuolo, hoping to keep their spot at the top of the standings. As a report highlights, thanks to Massimiliano Allegri, they definitely deserve to be there.
As highlighted by today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo below), the moves of Allegri are just as important as the goals of Leao-Pulisic, Modric’s leadership, Rabiot’s consistency, Maignan’s saves and the solidity of the defence.
Allegri doesn’t have as many options as his rivals Chivu (Inter) and Conte (Napoli), yet he manages to make the most of the players at his disposal. Even if the starting elevens don’t always work out, the manager has consistently made impactful decisions.
Pulisic is the obvious one, scoring the brace against Torino last time out, but the win was also the result of Samuele Ricci’s entrance and Loftus-Cheek’s move from midfield to striker and finally right wingback. Saelemaekers was also moved to the left with great success.
Allegri may lose his head when his players don’t do as he says, or the referee makes an incorrect (in his opinion) call, but he’s always composed when it comes to the decision-making. Thanks to him, Milan can dream of the Scudetto again.
Few (but impactful) substitutions
Without European competitions, the management agreed – together with Allegri – to limit the number of players in the squad. That’s why there were so many departures in the summer, while quite a lot of players were also brought in.
Injuries to Rabiot, Pulisic, Leao, and Gimenez thus significantly limited Max’s options in several matches earlier in the season, but he squeezed the most out of his squad. With fewer players, he simply had to limit the number of substitutions.
At 47 subs made so far, no coach in Serie A has a lower average. On top of that, Milan actually made the fewest substitutions of any team in the top five European leagues. Whenever a player comes on, however, there tends to be an impact of some sort.
Pulisic has scored three goals as a substitute (his brace on Monday in Turin and the goal against Lecce), Athekame’s long-range strike was crucial in preventing the defeat against Pisa, Ricci provided the assist for Pulisic’s 3-2 winner in Turin, and Gimenez earned the winning penalty converted by Leao against Fiorentina.
Different formations
Analysing Milan’s squad in June, Allegri considered playing with a 4-3-3, but pre-season and the mercato’s evolution pushed him to switch to a 3-5-2. With a three-man defence at the back, the team has found the solidity it sought last season, and the goals conceded are down compared to 2024-25.
What is even more interesting is that the starters are Tomori, Gabbia, and Pavlovic, who were often at the forefront of errors last season. In other words, the personnel haven’t really changed on this front, only the tactics and style of play.
The Rossoneri have gained nine more points, and from seventh place last season, they have now climbed to the top of the table. Allegri hasn’t been shy about defending with a 5-4-1, but at times he’s also used a 4-4-2 to secure the flanks.
In the future, however, he might also use a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2, especially if he gets an assist in the January transfer window.
New roles and launches
Another significant move was to transform Leao from a left-winger to a centre-forward. It was perhaps a difficult decision to explain to the No.10, but Allegri convinced him to move with his back towards the goal, participate in the non-possession phase, and take (and convert) penalties.
Bartesaghi’s launch was also courageous, with only a handful of appearances and most of the time spent with Milan Futuro. Now he’s the starter, with international Estupinan on the bench. Also important was the convincing of Maignan, who remained, and Modric, still a starter and playmaker.
This mix of smart moves, combined with the great work done at Milanello thanks to a top-notch staff, has brought the Rossoneri to the top of the table. There’s a long way to go until the Scudetto, let’s make that clear, but the direction is right.
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