Allegri praises team’s ‘spirit’ as 10-man Milan hold on to top Serie A
AC Milan claimed their fifth straight win, defeating Antonio Conte’s unbeaten Napoli 2-1 despite playing with 10 men.
Massimiliano Allegri lauded AC Milan’s “spirit” after they held on with 10 men to secure a 2-1 win over Napoli, ensuring they returned to the Serie A summit following Roma's 2-0 win over Hellas Verona earlier on Sunday.
The Rossoneri got off to a dream start, racing to a 2-0 lead inside 31 minutes courtesy of an inspired Christian Pulisic, who set up Alexis Saelemaekers for the opener before scoring the second himself.
The match shifted when Pervis Estupinan was sent off for bringing down Giovanni Di Lorenzo, giving Kevin De Bruyne the chance to score from the penalty spot and spark a nervy finish, with David Neres even hitting the post in stoppage time.
Milan's stern rearguard frustrated Napoli, who took 19 shots, chalking up an xG of 2.96. The last time they registered 19 or more total shots in a Serie A match and still lost was in March 2024, when they managed 20 attempts against Atalanta.
“I am happy because this was an important and very difficult test against a quality Napoli side,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.
“Our first half was great, the second unfortunately saw us down to 10 men. At least we managed to practice our defending, these are situations where you can be forced to give away scoring opportunities.
“The lads did really well, but this is just the beginning. We must enjoy the victory tonight, then from tomorrow start to focus on the next match before the break for international duty.”
Milan recorded their fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, having conceded just one goal and scoring 11.
“We’ve got to keep working, we made a small step forward today with a deserved victory against a strong Napoli," added Allegri.
"When you know how to suffer under pressure, it makes it easier to win if you have this kind of spirit."
