Allegri: Milan must avoid a ‘disaster’, but strikers’ form not an issue
Massimiliano Allegri is confident Milan strikers will score decisive goals in the race for a Champions League spot, but warns: ‘We must not be overwhelmed by events, or it becomes a disaster.’
Milan coach Allegri held a press conference on Friday on the eve of a Serie A match against Udinese.
The Rossoneri slipped to the third spot on Monday, after suffering a 1-0 away loss at Napoli, who leapfrogged Allegri’s men in second.
Milan vs. Udinese – Allegri’s pre-match press conference
“The result influences the judgment. Balance must prevail until the end. We still need a few more points to reach our objective, and we have to get there step by step,” Allegri told reporters via Milannews.
“There are objective facts. In the last three matches, we’ve lost twice away and from the Parma game until now, we’ve failed to score in three games. It has to be dealt with calmly and with clarity.”
Milan’s strong start to the season initially made them possible title contenders, even if Allegri has been reiterating that the main target for 2025-26 is to qualify for the Champions League.
“Maybe we haven’t been good enough to be closer to Inter, which should push us to improve, without losing sight of the Champions League goal,” the coach insisted.
“There are seven matches left, and some teams are improving. During a season, there are moments when strikers score and others when they don’t. But I’m sure that from now until the end, they’ll score goals that will help us qualify for the Champions League.”
Neither Leao nor Pulisic started in Naples on Monday, but were introduced as substitutes in the second half.
The American attacker hasn’t scored a goal in 2026 yet, but Allegri is not concerned.
“Unfortunately, Leao and Pulisic have had several injuries that have prevented them from reaching peak condition. But they’ve scored important goals,” said the Rossoneri coach.
“Gimenez has just returned after six months. Fullkrug arrived in January; it’s a new league, and he hadn’t played for a while. But he’s made himself available. The environment must remain positive until the end.
“We have to reach our objective, whether we play with six forwards, eight, one or none. What matters is approaching matches proactively,” Allegri continued.
“Tomorrow will be difficult. Udinese are a physical team. They counterattack aggressively and control the pitch intensely.
“We need balance and clarity without being overwhelmed by events, because if we let ourselves be overwhelmed, it becomes a disaster.”
Santiago Gimenez has made two appearances as a substitute after returning from an ankle injury that required surgery in December.
“We worked together when I arrived, but then he had to stop because of his ankle. Now he’s back, and it’s normal to have a mental and physical rebound,” concluded Allegri.
“We can’t just talk about Gimenez, Leao or anyone else. We have to look at where we are right now. All of us, myself included, need to give something more than we’ve given so far. It’s a decisive moment, one step at a time. I have full confidence in the quality of our attacking players. Let’s not forget that midfielders and defenders can score too. We need to be solid until the end, a united block, knowing that there will be difficulties in winning matches.”