A transformed defensive line, with players confident and decisive. Some are possibly at the peak of their careers in terms of performance. Massimiliano Allegri said on his presentation day and repeated it several times:
"We must concede fewer goals than last year to reach the Champions League."
His team is following this plan: the players have absorbed the new tactical instructions and apply them on the field to avoid the mistakes that cost eighth place in 2024-25. Twelve months ago, after ten rounds, the Rossoneri had conceded thirteen goals and kept a clean sheet only twice.
Now they have conceded seven goals, four of which came at San Siro against newly promoted Cremonese and Pisa. The team has kept a clean sheet in five matches, including key games against Juventus and Roma. Milan had not conceded so few goals at this point in the season since 2008-09. This is the result of Allegri's instructions, the forwards' pressing, the midfielders' defensive work, and the near disappearance of defensive lapses. It is notable that players who now make decisive interventions and deliver major performances were often on the bench or prone to errors last season.
Matteo Gabbia as a leader?
The central defender, raised in Milan's youth system, made thirty-six appearances out of fifty-five official matches last season and started thirty-two times. In Serie A, he started twenty-two of thirty-eight matches and appeared in twenty-six. Now Gabbia is untouchable: he has started all ten league matches and played every minute, while he rested only in the Coppa Italia round of sixteen against Lecce. He has become the leader of the back three, respected in the locker room when he speaks, and has regained a call-up to the national team thanks to his performances. He is currently the undisputed symbol of both Milan and the team's revival after a season where only the Supercoppa Italiana win and derby results were highlights.
Strahinja Pavlovic reborn:
Strahinja Pavlovic's transformation is impressive. Signed from Salzburg for eighteen million plus bonuses in summer 2024, he played thirty-five of fifty-five matches in 2024-25, starting thirty-one. In Serie A, he started twenty-one times and appeared in twenty-four matches. He started well but then made several positional and concentration errors and fell to the bench. Allegri and his staff worked extensively on these weaknesses, and now Pavlovic is a completely different player: sharper in marking, better in coordination with the back line, and as a left-sided marker he now supports attacks. His goal against Roma was decisive, and he also pushed forward effectively against Pisa and Atalanta, as pointed out by La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
Is Fikayo Tomori reliable once again under Allegri?
Then there is Tomori, who endured a thigh hematoma to be on the bench on Sunday. He came on in stoppage time and contributed. He was key in the Scudetto-winning year, but last season under both Fonseca and Conceicao, he missed several matches: thirty-one starts out of fifty-five, thirty-five total appearances. In Serie A 2024-25, he started nineteen of thirty-eight matches. So far this season, he has missed only one Serie A game (against Pisa) and started eight of ten matches, including both Coppa Italia games. He has adapted perfectly to the back-three role and, like Loftus-Cheek, hopes to regain a national team spot he has not had since 2023. After returning to his best level from Chelsea and his early Milan period, Tomori can achieve this. Fikayo, Matteo, and Strahinja have developed strong understanding, leaving only limited minutes for De Winter. With MAignan focused on Milan despite his contract ending in June, they aim to push the team higher with clean-sheet performances. This is the path Allegri laid out, and the Rossoneri defenders follow it.
