'This is just the beginning' - Allegri hails Milan spirit after hard-earned Napoli win
AC Milan were forced to play the final half an hour against Napoli with 10 men, but held out for a hard-earned win to go top of Serie A.
Massimiliano Allegri insisted "this is just the beginning" for AC Milan, after they displaced Napoli at the Serie A summit with a 2-1 victory at San Siro.
The Rossoneri prevailed in their blockbuster showdown with the reigning Scudetto holders, with first-half goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Christian Pulisic proving decisive.
Milan recorded their fourth straight win to usurp the Partenopei via their head-to-head record.
However, they were holding on at the end after they were forced to play the final half an hour with 10 men, following Pervis Estupinan's red card for a foul on Giovanni Di Lorenzo that led to a penalty, from which Kevin De Bruyne halved the deficit.
Allegri hailed the spirit demonstrated by his players, but is adamant there is more to come from them.
"I am happy because this was an important and very difficult test against a quality Napoli side," he 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.
"We've got to keep working. We made a small step forward today with a deserved victory against a strong Napoli. When you know how to suffer under pressure, it makes it easier to win if you have this kind of spirit."
Once again, Luka Modric played a starring role for the hosts in the middle of the park. The former Ballon d'Or winner's tallies of 72 touches and 58 passes were the highest by any Milan player, while he also registered a game-high four interceptions.
"Having him in front of the defence brings quality, but also intelligence when closing off passing channels," added Allegri, saluting the 40-year-old.
"He can win the ball back more with interceptions than challenges, that's where he can be extremely valuable."
