Victory over Inter cements Milan’s status as Serie A title contenders 

Six-time Serie A title winner Massimiliano Allegri knows better than most people what it takes to be successful in the Italian top-flight.

With that in mind, his comments after Milan’s eye-catching 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro on Sunday are well worth noting.

"I think the points we have are what we deserve, because we could've drawn easily with Napoli and Roma, so it all balances out," Allegri told DAZN. 

"This match confirmed our season since the start, which is when we had to set the tempo. We didn't always do it, conceding goals against Cremonese, Parma and Pisa.

"When it's a top-level match, you are more determined, you stay plugged in for longer, and so we must understand that when we let the intensity drop, we become vulnerable.

"On a psychological level, this is an important win, as staying in the top four was what we wanted."

Summer transfer business pays dividends for Milan

Having missed out on European qualification at the end of last season, Milan embarked on a significant reset during the summer transfer window.

The Rossoneri splashed the cash on several high-profile signings, some of whom have yet to justify the faith the club placed in them.

While Milan are yet to have a return on their investment from some of their summer signings, their most crucial acquisition was in the dugout.

Allegri’s tactical acumen and ability to rebuild squads were key factors in the club’s decision to appoint him and the early signs have been promising.

His impact can be evidenced by Rafael Leao, who has already praised his ability to give the players more freedom to express themselves.

New signing Adrien Rabiot has also flourished under Allegri, which is no mean feat when considering the unsavoury nature of his exit from Marseille.

Rabiot was sold after an ugly dressing room fight with Jonathan Rowe, but has settled in seamlessly to life at Milan under Allegri’s tutelage.

The manager’s influence on proceedings is further evidenced by the results in games against the teams who are currently in title contention.

Roma, Napoli, Inter and Bologna are alongside Milan in the top five after 12 games. Milan have defeated all of them this season.

They have also drawn with Juventus and Atalanta this term – results which further highlight the progress they have made under Allegri.

Upcoming fixtures offer more encouragement to Milan

The upcoming fixtures in Serie A give Milan a golden opportunity to take the initiative in this season’s title race. Here are the next five games for each of the title contenders:

Roma (1st) – 27 points

• Napoli (H)
• Cagliari (A)
• Como (H)
• Juventus (A)
• Genoa (H)

Milan (2nd) – 25 points

• Lazio (H)

• Torino (A)

• Sassuolo (H)

• Verona (H)

• Cagliari (A)

Napoli (3rd) – 25 points

• Roma (A)
• Juventus (H)
• Udinese (A)
• Cremonese (A)
• Lazio (A)

Inter (4th) – 24 points

• Pisa (A)
• Como (H)
• Genoa (A)
• Atalanta (A)
• Bologna (H)

Bologna (5th) – 24 points

• Cremonese (H)
• Lazio (A)
• Juventus (H)
• Sassuolo (H)
• Inter (A)

Roma are scheduled to face Napoli this weekend, while Inter kick off their 2026 fixtures with a home game against Bologna.

With some of their title rivals guaranteed to drop points over the next few weeks, Milan have the chance to strengthen their position in the table.

Three of their next five fixtures are on home soil, while visits to Torino and Cagliari are winnable if their produce their best form.

Allegri will be hoping that the club’s expensive summer additions can start to show their worth, as this would significantly boost their title hopes.

Christopher Nkunku, Ardon Jashiri, Samuele Ricci, Koni De Winter, Pervis Estupinan have shown flashes of their ability, but need to produce the goods more consistently.

If they can start to demonstrate why Milan brought them to the San Siro, and the rest of the squad keeps performing, winning the title is a distinct possibility.

Allegri has previously demonstrated his ability to guide teams to success in Italy. Milan could be a good bet to add another Scudetto to his already impressive career CV.