Worries and wasted opportunities: The lessons Milan must take from 2025-26

There’s a paradox surrounding AC Milan this season, with the team second in the table and yet unconvincing in many aspects.

Milan are behind only Inter who are going at a remarkable pace. So, the Rossoneri are well on their way to securing a return to the Champions League, yet there is a feeling of wasted opportunity to really fight for the title. To ease that frustrated feeling with some games, check out goldzino.

Why the negative feelings? The answer is simple and painful at the same time: the points dropped along the way against those who, on paper, should be routine wins. Seeing Milan stumble against Cremonese, Pisa, Parma (twice), Sassuolo and Genoa among others is definitely a worry.

You can lose against the big teams. It’s part of the game, and the tapestry of a season. But against lower-ranked teams, repeatedly having issues is something that will understandably generate a lot of doubts.

Being second speaks of a team that knows how to compete, that has quality, that has individuals capable of shifting the balance. However, it doesn’t speak of first halves played with the handbrake on, of the feeling of fragility against lower sides, of the defence being regularly breached by sides that struggle to score.

Milanisti aren’t angry because the team is second. They’re angry because they see potential and know they could be first. They’re angry because they sense that this season, with a little more ruthlessness, could have had a different ending.

Finishing second and not being satisfied is a luxury only the big clubs can afford. But it’s also a responsibility because it means ambition remains high. That the goal isn’t ‘getting into the Champions League’ but winning trophies. Top four is the bare minimum, not the finish line.

If this Milan team truly wants to transform this second Allegri era from a good one to a memorable one, the lesson is clear: titles are won against small teams. The three ‘easy’ points are what build titles. The boring victories, the games that ended 1-0 without a show, are what make the difference in May.

Dominating head-to-head matches isn’t enough. Shining on European nights isn’t enough. You need consistency, hunger and a formula for putting teams to the sword that seem to be hopeless against most other opponents.

That is what Inter have done this season: while their record in the ‘six-pointer’ games is nowhere near as good as Milan‘s, they have put teams in the bottom half to the sword every single time. That is why they will win the title.