AC Milan Might Be Relieved? 59-Year-Old Allegri Faces Embarrassment: Two Straight Losses Coaching Serie A Runners-Up, Napoli Drop to 13th

On September 6 Beijing time, in the third round of Serie A, Inter Milan hosted Napoli at the Meazza Stadium. In this match, Napoli coached by Allegri squandered a strong position. After holding a two-goal advantage, they were eventually overturned, with Inter Milan completing a 3-2 comeback from 0-2 down. AC Milan might be relieved? 59-year-old Allegri faces embarrassment: two straight losses coaching Serie A runners-up and a drop to 13th.

This was a typical “Allegri-style match,” with both sides drawing 0-0 in the first half. In the second half, Politano and Hojlund scored in succession, giving Napoli a 2-0 lead over Inter Milan in the 53rd minute. Inter pulled one back in the 56th minute through a Lautaro goal, but Napoli still led. Afterwards, Allegri made more conservative substitutions, taking off goal contributors Politano and Hojlund in an attempt to hold onto the remaining one-goal advantage.

However, Napoli ultimately fell short. They conceded in the 82nd minute, with Thuram’s goal helping Inter equalize. Inter’s momentum surged while Napoli collapsed. In the first minute of stoppage time, Lautaro scored his second goal of the match, and Napoli were overturned 3-2 by Inter Milan.

Allegri paid the price for his conservative tactics. Inter Milan went on to achieve three consecutive wins, while Napoli suffered two straight defeats after losing 1-2 to Como in the previous round. Currently, Roma and Inter Milan are tied on 9 points and occupy the top two places in Serie A, Como have 7 points in third, and Milan, Juventus and Lazio, all with a game in hand, are tied on 6 points in fourth to sixth. Napoli have 3 points from three matches and sit 13th.

In the previous two seasons, Napoli’s manager was Conte. Under Conte, Napoli won the Serie A title and finished runners-up behind Inter Milan last season. Since Allegri took charge of Napoli, the team’s performances have failed to satisfy their fans. Allegri’s second spell at Juventus ended with him being dismissed due to poor results, and during his second spell at Milan last season, the Rossoneri finished fifth in Serie A despite playing only one competition, missing out on a Champions League place.

Allegri is a traditional Italian coach and a firm believer in a 1-0 approach. His teams focus heavily on defense, while often lacking attacking quality, making matches less entertaining. Allegri’s tactics have been unpopular among fans, and his coaching results in recent years have also been poor. Milan’s decision to move on from Allegri this summer was a wise one. Napoli president De Laurentiis also has a distinctive personality, and his patience has limits. Can Allegri coach Napoli for a full season?