Last Sunday in Reggio Emilia, AC Milan were as poor as they have been all season. Domenico Berardi scored inside five minutes, Armand Laurienté doubled the lead early in the second half, and Fikayo Tomori’s red card in the 24th minute effectively ended any realistic prospect of a comeback.
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The 2-0 defeat to Sassuolo was not simply a bad result. Milan registered their lowest expected goals figure since May 2018, producing just 0.27 xG across 90 minutes. For a side still chasing Champions League qualification, that number is alarming.
Sunday at San Siro offers the opportunity to restore some momentum. Atalanta are the visitors, and while La Dea are no longer the threat to Europe’s elite they were under Gian Piero Gasperini, the fixture carries real weight for the Rossoneri. Win each of their remaining three league fixtures and a top-four place is guaranteed for Milan. Lose points here, and Juventus, Roma, and Como will all be watching with intent.
Speaking to BonusFinder, a widely read independent resource covering newly launched casino platforms and expert-tested operator guidance, one Serie A analyst noted: “The Sassuolo result exposed something structural. Rafael Leão and Christian Pulisic are both operating in roles that limit their ability to affect games from wide positions. Until Allegri addresses that, Milan will keep producing these creative dead ends.”
The attacking problem that will not go away
The issue predates Sassuolo. Pulisic has not scored in 2026, while Leão has not found the net since March, compounding Milan’s decline in overall goal production across the front line. The club has netted just 48 goals across the 2025-26 Serie A season, their worst scoring return in years. These are not blips. They represent a systemic failure in the final third that Allegri’s cautious build-up play has done little to remedy.
Luka Modric, who brought control and diagonal distribution to the midfield before his cheekbone fracture, was the one player capable of unlocking compact defences. Without him, Ardon Jashari and Samuele Ricci have struggled to replicate that threading quality. Ricci’s yellow card at Sassuolo adds a disciplinary concern ahead of the run-in, though he is expected to be available at San Siro.
The positive from the selection sheet is Santiago Gimenez. The Mexican striker came off the bench against Sassuolo without making a difference, but starting him against Atalanta represents a credible option, particularly given Leão’s lack of cutting edge in central areas lately. Allegri must decide whether to continue trusting the Portuguese forward as a focal point or to reconfigure around Gimenez’s more direct movement.
Why Atalanta’s troubles could suit Milan
The visitors bring their own anxieties to San Siro. Under Raffaele Palladino, Atalanta are on a five-match winless run across all competitions, effectively ending their hopes of a top-six finish. Seventh-placed Atalanta can still theoretically finish inside the top six, but their supporters will be monitoring the other results closely rather than expecting anything from this fixture.
That context could serve Milan well. Atalanta’s defensive line has looked disorganised during the slump, and their intensity in pressing situations has dropped noticeably since the Coppa Italia semi-final exit. Tomori’s suspension means Allegri will need to reshuffle his back three, with Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlovic, and one of the younger options likely to start.
Gabbia’s importance to this side is well documented: with Gabbia available and playing, Milan have averaged 2.1 points per game in the league this season, compared to 1.5 without him. His absence through injury or suspension would be a different kind of concern. For now, he is fit.
What Milan need from the final three games
Only five points currently separate Milan, Juventus, Roma, and Como in the race for the remaining Champions League places. Every result in the next fortnight carries consequence, and the Rossoneri’s schedule is not forgiving.
After Atalanta at home, they travel to Genoa before finishing at San Siro against Cagliari on the final day. Both Genoa and Cagliari have collected seven points each from their last four matches, so neither fixture will be straightforward.
The pressure, then, falls most heavily on this Sunday. Atalanta’s form justifies favouring the home side, but Milan have produced poor results against teams they were expected to beat too often in the second half of this campaign.
The Sassuolo performance was the clearest example, but losses to Udinese and Napoli earlier in the spring reflect a worrying pattern of inconsistency when the psychological stakes feel highest.
Allegri will know that his own position at the club may hinge on what happens across these three fixtures. Reports in Italy have linked several coaches with the role ahead of next season, and missing out on the Champions League would make a rebuild considerably harder to fund.
There is no room for further experiments with formation or personnel. The task is clear, and Atalanta is where it needs to start.