Max Allegri welcomes Niclas Fullkrug’s impression on Milan, , and continues to deal with a high 4 end somewhat than the Scudetto.
The Rossoneri had dropped so many factors towards the smaller golf equipment this season, together with current back-to-back attracts with Genoa and Fiorentina.
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It regarded for some time as in the event that they’d run into one other brick wall at San Siro with a sequence of unimaginable Wladimiro Falcone saves, however battering ram Niclas Fullkrug got here off the bench and three minutes later scored the winner with a glancing header on Alexis Saelemaekers’ cross.
This was the sixth purpose from a substitute in Serie A this season, greater than some other staff.
Allegri can rely on Milan bench gamers
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Niclas Fullkrug of AC Milan celebrates scoring his staff’s first purpose throughout the Serie A match between AC Milan and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Picture by Marco Luzzani/Getty Pictures)
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“An important factor is that with 5 modifications obtainable in trendy soccer, substitutions change into decisive. At sure moments of the match, a participant like Fullkrug brings freshness into the field,”
Can Fullkrug play alongside each Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao from the beginning, or wouldn’t it threat unbalancing the staff that Allegri has set out?
“Fullkrug hadn’t skilled a lot for West Ham and acquired this knock to the foot. I believe we are able to play numerous combos involving Fullkrug, Pulisic, Leao and Nkunku, however what we have to do is have extra precision within the last passes, present extra persistence within the build-up, be sharper and faster somewhat than too frantic within the last third, which is what we have been doing tonight.
“Lecce have been backing off us and we wanted extra half-moon runs to keep away from their offside lure, as a substitute we stored getting caught up in it, as we have been hasty. Lecce labored actually onerous within the first half and inevitably misplaced depth after the break, so we ratcheted up a gear in each our tempo and the pace with which we moved the ball.
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“I regarded on the statistics, Lecce conceded virtually half the entire objectives this season within the last quarter-hour. Meaning they’re good at working onerous, holding the sport open, however then they run out of steam.”
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Christian Pulisic of AC Milan runs with the ball while below stress from Corrie Ndaba of US Lecce throughout the Serie A match between AC Milan and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Picture by Marco Luzzani/Getty Pictures)
Ardon Jashari and Samuele Ricci began in midfield this night, resting Luka Modric and Youssouf Fofana, because it was one of many uncommon weeks the place Milan had a couple of sport to play.
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“When you’ve got video games shut collectively, they stress you extra mentally than bodily,” famous Allegri.
“Jashari did effectively along with his passing and the depth of his work-rate, Ricci did rather well in a job that I believe is his pure one as a mezz’ala. Now we have a great spirit, and if you play a match with 15 gamers somewhat than 11, it turns into simpler for everybody.”
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 08: Massimiliano Allegri, Head Coach of AC Milan, offers the staff directions throughout the Serie A match between AC Milan and Genoa CFC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Picture by Marco Luzzani/Getty Pictures)
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This end result means Milan reap the benefits of the slip-ups elsewhere to consolidate second place and break three factors away from Napoli, staying inside three factors of leaders Inter.
What Allegri was maybe much more content material with was the actual fact they’re now seven factors away from Juventus in fifth, as he continues to insist the Champions League spots are their actual goal this season.
“We’re midway to the goal that we set ourselves. After we are mathematically within the high 4, then I can look past that, however as of as we speak the quota for a Champions League place is 74 factors, whereas with Inter’s type it’s going as much as 86-88. That’s simply arithmetic, the place groups are actually, in case you assume they’ll common two factors per sport, that’s the place they are going to find yourself,” insisted Allegri.
Milan had began the season with a house defeat to Cremonese, however are unbeaten in Serie A since then with 12 wins and eight attracts.
It’s the longest optimistic streak within the high flight since Fabio Capello’s period from September 1992 to March 1993.