It is clear that Massimiliano Allegri has set his team up in a very strict way, and the stats show this. Indeed, AC Milan are one of the most structured teams.
When watching Milan, it is not a surprise that they are very strict in their defending. Whilst there are some pressing efforts made, his team defends in blocks, preferring to sit and wait for teams to make moves and then spring counters.
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Of course, with a high press, his team could get caught out, and Allegri is clearly not very keen on that idea.
Least aggressive team
Perhaps it may come as a shock, though, that even with this knowledge, the Rossoneri sit at the bottom of the pressing charts for the top five European leagues, as CIES Football’s index shows, via Sleeper AC Milan on X.
The numbers are worked out on a number of different criteria.
➤ Distance from own goal of presses applied
➤ Speed of interrupting opponent possessions
➤ Frequency of defensive actions with respect to passes conceded
➤ Propensity to commit fouls in the final third when not in possession
What works, works, and it would be interesting to see if things change next season when Allegri can built his own squad.
🚨 Milan are the team that PRESS the LEAST in Europe's Top 5 League!@CIES_Football created an Index to calculate the level of pressure exerted on opponents. Milan rank as the last one in Europe. These were the criteria used for the study:
•Distance from own goal of presses… pic.twitter.com/sNzpxEKQx3
— Sleeper AC Milan (@SleeperACMilan) February 25, 2026
Hopefully at season’s end top 4 UCL money is secured, Milan reaps a large payday from player sales of guys on out loan and deadweight in the current squad, and Allegri is given the money to build the team he really wants.
Maybe with a couple new CBs, an RB and a proper striker of his choosing he’ll finally feel secure being a little more adventurous offensively with the formation.
Agree. Allegri is focused on getting UCL spot. I hope as well he will venture into new formations/dynamics and even more so going into next season. I do have a problem with the Article. we are the worst pressing team…. ok, is pressing the only tactic in futbol or what? Pressing hard and pressing high is a thing that came out of Klopp/Ragnick and guardiola. it isnt the only way to win games or play.
Totally agree on pressing. It’s not the only way to win. Mourinho won a load of trophies playing more conservative, Ancelotti certainly never pressed all over the field, especially at Madrid.
It’s just about having a system that works and finding the players to fit it. This year was more the opposite I think, Max is fitting the system to the current roster to give us the best chance of top 4.
Work in progress.
CB and RB are not the reasons that the pressing stats are so low, though more confidence in the back line makes everyone feel better about pressing further up the pitch.
Agree. But I don’t think Max is ever gonna be an all our press and counter press guy. I’d just like to see him use a more offensive set up that gets Leao and Pulisic into more effective roles playing with a 9.
Also think that with CBs and RB of his own choosing Max might be a little more confident in playing an attacking style vs thinking he has to give the CBs extra cover with two wingbacks because all of them are shaky at times.
Bartesaghi seems to have convinced Max he can play LB in a back 4 however, he’s clearly on the rise.
Why do people think the team Allegri “really wants” is going to play differently? “His” players are going to play in exactly the same way, just “better”. So I wouldn’t expect this pressing stat to change, as Allegri sides do not press. The worst will be one day when Allegri is gone, these players will have to relearn how to play contemporary football. Another transfer “revolution” in a season or two, perhaps?
The post wasn’t really about pressing more, just being a little more offensive in the set up.
It’s not like all of his teams that won the scudetto went completely 3-5-2 and closed up shop every season, he did use more attacking formations and a 4 man back line.
He’s never going to be Klopp, but he’s show he can be more attacking than Milan are this year.
Milan has always been a terrible pressing team. That’s what screwed Fonseca and this issue goes all the way back to the Pioli days. Only a couple of guys have the work rate to press and to be honest nobody has the spatial awareness to effectively rotate while pressing. Even offensively they are constantly running into each other’s attacking lanes and getting in each other’s way. It’s probably better for them not to press and I think Allegri sees this