Max Allegri expressed hope that the loss to Lazio would quell further questions about Milan’s Scudetto aspirations and discussed Rafael Leao’s frustration over his substitution.
This match presented a significant chance for the Rossoneri to capitalize on their recent Derby della Madonnina victory and Inter’s draw with Atalanta, potentially narrowing the gap at the top of the standings to five points.
However, they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico, which saw Inter increase their lead to eight points, while Napoli now sits just one point behind Milan in third place.
Lazio consistently targeted Pervis Estupinan down the right side, leading to a key moment when Gustav Isaksen took advantage of a long ball from Adam Marusic to score the only goal of the match.
Allegri Analyzes Milan’s Missteps
In his post-match interview, Allegri noted, “We were aware of the challenges this match presented, especially with the fans back in the stadium, making it crucial for Lazio.
“Their first half was strong; we needed to be more organized and minimize our errors. They worked hard and began to falter after halftime. We improved our intensity and pushed forward, but unfortunately, we couldn’t convert our efforts into goals. That’s football,” he said.
More concerning is that Milan is now closer to Juventus in fifth place than they are to the league leaders, with only a seven-point cushion for a Champions League spot.
Allegri acknowledged, “What we must do now is reset. After the victory over Inter, there was talk of the Scudetto, but we need to remain realistic. Our primary goal is to qualify for the Champions League; otherwise, we risk undermining everything we’ve built over the past six months.”
There was notably tension when Allegri decided to substitute Rafael Leao in the 68th minute. The Portuguese winger reacted with visible anger, walking slowly to the touchline, prompting Mike Maignan to hurry him along. Leao also resisted Allegri’s attempt to embrace him before kicking bottles on the Milan bench in frustration.
Allegri addressed the incident, stating, “Leao was a bit upset because he felt he could have had better service. But these things can happen during a match.” He added, “All the players wanted to win, primarily to distance themselves from the competition, with Juventus now only seven points behind us. The season is still long; we need to stay focused and improve on the mistakes we made in the first half.”
Milan’s struggles were perhaps exacerbated by the absence of Adrien Rabiot, who was serving a ban. However, Allegri pushed back against the notion that Milan played too passively in the first half.
“We made too many technical errors initially and allowed for too many counter-attacks. Even before Lazio scored, we had a couple of instances where we were out of position, leaving space behind us. We should never concede like that,” he remarked.
“After the break, we increased our aggression in duels and managed to keep Lazio pinned back, but it’s difficult to analyze why we were soft in those challenges initially. The players prepared well and understood the significance of this game,” Allegri concluded.