AC Milan Coach: 'Modric uses intelligence to regain possession'

Coach Massimiliano Allegri expressed great admiration for AC Milan's fighting spirit and Luka Modric following the team's performance with a man down, maintaining a 2-1 win against Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza.

Milan started the match enthusiastically and took a 2-0 lead within 31 minutes, inspired by Christian Pulisic, who assisted Alexis Saelemaekers to open the scoring and then scored the second goal himself. However, the game became more intense when Pervis Estupinan was sent off for pulling down Giovanni Di Lorenzo inside the penalty area. Napoli quickly reduced the deficit with a successful penalty by Kevin De Bruyne, before David Neres struck the post in stoppage time.

After the match, Allegri told DAZN Italy: “I am happy because this was a tough challenge against a quality opponent like Napoli. We played excellently in the first half, but had to play with 10 men in the second half. Despite that, the players did well by defending smartly and handling the pressure. This is just the beginning, but this victory is very important.”

Additionally, Allegri gave special praise to Modric, the 40-year-old star known for his creativity but currently proving his worth in defense: “With Modric in front of the defense, we not only have quality but also intelligence in cutting off passing lanes. He recovers the ball more through interceptions rather than direct tackles. That is extremely valuable.”

According to Sofascore, the Croatian midfielder had 72 touches, achieving a passing accuracy of 91% (53/58), notably delivering 10 accurate long passes out of 13 attempts. Furthermore, Modric made 4 successful interceptions, blocked 2 shots, and cleared 1 danger. Although he did not score or assist, this comprehensive performance made Modric one of the key players helping AC Milan preserve their lead over Napoli.

The victory over Napoli gives Milan a streak of 5 consecutive wins across all competitions (Serie A and Coppa Italia), scoring 11 goals and conceding only once. The match also marked Rafael Leao’s return to Serie A after injury, along with positive signs from Nkunku. Allegri revealed he has been experimenting with a 3-5-2 formation since Leao was absent and Adrien Rabiot joined. “We have various attacking options; the key is for players to regain their best physical condition. Modern football can change within just a few dozen minutes.”

Thanks to this win, Milan climbs to the top of the Serie A standings alongside Napoli and Roma (all with 12 points), an impressive comeback after losing to Cremonese in the opening match. In the next round, Allegri will face an emotional game as Milan meets Juventus, the club he once managed.

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