Massimiliano Allegri stated that Milan can be satisfied with a draw against Juventus, acknowledging that Christian Pulisic is feeling the pressure of his goal drought, while also noting that Rafael Leao is unlikely to ever achieve consistent performance.
The Rossoneri seemed to prioritize maintaining their distance from third place over catching up to Napoli in second, a tactical approach evident in the stalemate at San Siro. Despite some opportunities, including Alexis Saelemaekers hitting the crossbar and a disallowed Khephren Thuram goal for offside, Milan has now failed to score in their last six consecutive Serie A encounters with Juventus.
Allegri Praises Milan’s Defensive Effort and Views Draw Positively
Allegri described the match as “very balanced and tactical, with a great deal at stake.” He acknowledged that both teams had chances but praised his players’ defensive efforts. “Juve have a lot of depth with players who can come off the bench and take men on down the wings, but my lads defended very well,” he said. He believes the point is valuable as it brings them “another small step forward,” with only six points needed to mathematically secure their target. Allegri deemed the draw a fair result in a closely contested game where a single incident could have decided the outcome.
When questioned about his animated touchline reactions to counter-attacks, Allegri explained that while they conceded easily against Udinese, the team defended much better against Juventus despite a few dangerous turnovers. He also expressed a desire for more precise passing and timing to finish their moves effectively.
Regarding the attacking duo of Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic in the 3-5-2 formation, Allegri believes Leao had one of his “best performances of the season,” contributing defensively and showing good attitude, despite his historical inconsistency. Allegri emphasized that expecting constant brilliance from Leao is unrealistic, but he was pleased with his wing play and directness against Bremer.
Christian Pulisic is currently experiencing his longest goalless streak, matching his time at Chelsea in 2022, and has yet to score in 2026. Allegri described Pulisic as a “very sensitive man” who is deeply affected by this drought. He also noted Pulisic’s struggles with the physical demands of duels and the absence of a traditional center-forward. Allegri assured that he would try to bring balance to the team to achieve their objective and that Pulisic would contribute by the end of the season, acknowledging that the role might not be his ideal fit.
“The results ultimately are a tally of points, and now we need six points rather than seven to secure the Champions League spot,” Allegri concluded. “Now we have to prepare well for Sassuolo, and play better on a technical level.”
Allegri: ‘Milan content with the point, Pulisic is sensitive and Leao can never be consistent’
Massimiliano Allegri insists Milan ‘can be content with the point’ against Juventus, admits Christian Pulisic is ‘sensitive’ to his drought, but warns Rafael Leao ‘can never be consistent.’
The Rossoneri felt it was perhaps more important to keep the Bianconeri at a safe distance from third rather than keep up with Napoli in second, and it showed at San Siro in a tactical stalemate. There were some chances, above all Alexis Saelemaekers hitting the crossbar and the Khephren Thuram goal ruled offside, but Milan have now failed to score in their last six consecutive Serie A meetings with Juve.
Allegri sees positive point for Milan
“It was a very balanced, tactical game, with a great deal at stake. We had a couple of situations, as did Juventus,” Allegri told DAZN Italia. “Juve have a lot of strength in depth with players who can come off the bench and take men on down the wings, but my lads defended very well, apart from one cross that David didn’t get his head to. We can be content with the point, as it allows us to take another small step forward, we are mathematically now just six points away from securing our target, so that means winning two games. The draw was the right result, these are balanced matches where an incident can change the game, and it was a fair result.”
Allegri was seen on the touchline getting furious with his players for allowing some Juve counter-attacks and he laughed when asked about those situations. “We conceded three goals against Udinese and didn’t even notice, those were all counter-attacks, and today we lost the ball two or three times dangerously. However, the lads defended very well when chasing them down. I do wish we’d had more precise passing and timing of the passes to complete our moves.”
The front pairing of Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic continues to do little to help either player in the 3-5-2 formation, and Niclas Fullkrug this time replaced the USMNT star to shake things up a bit with a real Number 9. “I think Rafa played well tonight, it was one of his best performances of the season. Between assists and goals, he gave his contribution this term, but you cannot expect a player like this to be particularly consistent. He never has been, not even four or five years ago, because he lights up at the right time,” insisted Allegri. “He helped out defensively today and had a good attitude, he had a couple of changes of pace, which he had struggled with lately due to fitness problems. He took on Bremer and pulled the ball back, so it was one of his best performances.”
Pulisic meanwhile has now equalled his worst ever goalless streak, failing to find the net for 16 consecutive games, just like at Chelsea in 2022, and is yet to contribute a goal in 2026. “Christian is a very sensitive man and this drought is hitting him harder. He is also someone who struggles more with the physicality of duels and the lack of a centre-forward, but I must try to give a balance to this team, as we have an objective to achieve. I realise he is not entirely suited to this, I had asked him to play centre-right tonight and Leao centre-left, so we were without a centre-forward. Rest assured, by the end of the season Pulisic will have given his contribution,” assured Allegri.
“The results ultimately are a tally of points, and now we need six points rather than seven to secure the Champions League spot. Now we have to prepare well for Sassuolo, and play better on a technical level.”
