There was no need for revolutions to change Milan’s face, at least from a defensive point of view. With Massimiliano Allegri on the bench, the Rossoneri have rediscovered order, compactness, and continuity, despite working with a squad that is almost identical to last season’s. After 17 matchdays, the numbers speak clearly: 13 goals conceded and as many as 9 clean sheets, figures that confirm clear progress in the defensive phase.
Numbers that matter: Milan shut the door again
After 17 rounds of the league, Milan boast one of the best defenses in the whole of Serie A, with only Como and Roma having done better so far. The mere 13 goals conceded represent a clear step forward compared to last season, while the 9 clean sheets show a team capable of controlling matches and minimizing risks. These are not isolated exploits, but the result of consistency that has accompanied Milan’s journey week after week, despite some ups and downs.
The most significant statistic is the frequency with which Maignan has kept a clean sheet: almost one match out of two without conceding, a sign of a more balanced defensive setup and of a team that has finally started to defend better, all together.
Allegri’s stamp on defensive balance
The improvement does not come from new players, but from precise tactical work. Allegri has given Milan a more compact defensive structure, reducing the distances between the lines and making every player responsible in the defensive phase, and the data back this up. Compared to the last five seasons, the Rossoneri have improved both in terms of clean sheets and goals conceded after 17 matchdays (2021/22 season: 17 goals conceded, 6 clean sheets; 2022/23: 18 and 4; 2023/24: 20 and 6; 2024/25: 17 and 8; 2025/26: 13 and 9), as pointed out by Milan News.
The feeling is that Milan have finally found a balance that had been missing: less spectacle at times, but much more solidity. And it is precisely from here that the Rossoneri’s seasonal ambitions take shape, with a defense that has once again become a real foundation on which to build results.
