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Arrigo Sacchi believes that AC Milan need to sort out their performances against lesser sides in order to challenge for the title.
There have already been multiple different league-leaders in what is shaping up to be an exciting 2025-26 season. Inter are currently top with 33 points from 15 games, having won 11 and lost four with no draws. They are also the top scorers with 34 goals scored, giving them the best goal difference.
They took top spot from Milan over the weekend, who by contrast have lost only one game but have nine wins and 32 points on the board. Napoli are then just one point behind the Rossoneri, so it is shaping up to be an intriguing title battle, with Roma not to be counted out either.
Sacchi was interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport and asked for his assessments on how the race for the title will go based on what we have seen so far.
Milan’s performance is quite surprising, don’t you think?
“If we consider what they did last season, the Rossoneri have certainly improved. Allegri has given the team structure and a new mentality.
“But again: why so many points dropped against mid and low-level opponents? A lack of focus and concentration? The coach has a lot of work to do, especially on defence, which isn’t always perfect.”
The Italian champions Napoli often stumble. Why?
“The squad has improved compared to last season, and it’s expanded, but there have been a lot of injuries. And let’s not forget that the list of unavailable players includes players of the caliber of Lukaku and De Bruyne.
“I can explain Conte’s team’s ups and downs like this: too many absences and not being used to facing a double-header in the league and the Champions League.”
Of the top two, which do you like best?
“Napoli, when they play well, have the most European style. Inter have a lethal attack, but they’re a bit shaky in defence. Milan are, according to Allegri’s ideas, very solid, but perhaps they’re lacking something up front. If I had to make an aesthetic ranking, I’d say: Napoli first, Inter second, Milan third.”
And what if he were to go out on a limb and predict who will win the Scudetto?
“Right now, not even Nostradamus could guess. But Napoli, if they recover their injured players quickly, seems to me to be the team that’s ahead.
“Inter need to make a leap in quality against the big teams, while Milan are an unknown quantity, even if they have the advantage of not playing in the cup competitions.”
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