Massimiliano Allegri was interviewed by DAZN after Milan’s 1-0 win over Lecce. Here is everything he said:
Sixth goal thanks to substitutions… and on Fullkrug:
“Everything comes together. With five substitutions, and with how football is today, changes become decisive. Whoever comes on has to raise the level, especially at certain moments of the match like tonight, when we needed Fullkrug in the box, and also to bring fresh mental focus. The players did well, just like in Como. It shows this is a wonderful group going through an important journey. We are still halfway there, and we have many points to collect to reach the goal we started for.”
Could we see Fullkrug start with Pulisic and Leao?
“Right now he’s arrived, he hadn’t trained much lately with West Ham, then he took that hit on his foot… He’s an important option for the ends of games, like in Como and today. I believe we can play Pulisic and Leao, whether it’s Nkunku and Pulisic or Nkunku and Leao… What we need to improve is precision in the final passes. With two players like them, we can move forward with the ball on the ground and a bit of patience. Being a little clearer, faster, and not too rushed in the last 20 meters, like in the first half. They played with a very high defense and didn’t move much. We just needed to get past the arc to avoid offside, a few balls over the midfielders wouldn’t have hurt. Then in the second half, they dropped a bit, we increased our intensity, and that’s a good sign in terms of ball speed and running. Lecce had conceded 32 goals before today, but 55% of those were in the last 15 minutes. That shows a team that keeps you in the match, making it very hard to score, and the players did well.”
Milan is +15 compared to last year with the best attack and second-best defense. But there seems to be room to grow. How are you managing after these close matches?
“We managed well, you can see it physically. It’s normal that these close matches stress you more mentally than physically. Jashari had a great game today, both in passing and in running intensity. Ricci played well; he plays as a mezzala, which I think suits him perfectly. He’s smart, provides coverage, pairs well with the deep-lying playmaker, and can move vertically when needed. Estupinan returned, it wasn’t easy for him, and he also played well. There is a good spirit, and playing with 15 players has its advantages.”
When will you stop saying the goal is fourth place? Allegri commented:
“When we’re mathematically in the top four. There’s still time. Today, I repeat, the Champions League threshold is 74 points, while the Scudetto is at 86–88. Juventus is fifth with 39 points, averaging two points per game, so after 17 matches they reach 73. If they get more than two points per game, the Champions League threshold rises. We’ll see with time, but for now this is the target for the Champions League.”
