AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri appeared in a press statement following the 2-1 victory over Napoli in the fifth round of the Serie A at San Siro.

He said: "I am happy because this was a very important and difficult match against a strong Napoli team. We had a fantastic first half, while the second half saw one of our players sent off, but at least we trained on defending in complex situations like this, where you sometimes have to give the opponent chances to score."

He added: "The players performed excellently, but this is just the beginning. We must enjoy the victory tonight, and from tomorrow we start focusing on the next match before the international break."

He continued: "We must keep working; we took a small step forward today with a deserved victory over a strong Napoli. When you know how to suffer under pressure, winning becomes easier if you have that spirit."

Regarding Leao's return from injury: "Leao is gradually returning to fitness, as is Nkunku, and there are positive signs for the future."

He added: "In our preparatory matches against Liverpool and Arsenal, we played Loftus-Cheek on one side and Pulisic on the other, with two playmakers in the midfield, and Leao in attack. It depends on the characteristics of the playmaker, whether they are more defensive or offensive, but we are trying in training to see the options we can utilize throughout the season."

He clarified: "We have many attacking players who can be deployed in different roles. The most important thing is to regain their full readiness, because we saw that the match is played in the first hour, and then it can change completely after that."

On Luka Modric: "His presence in front of the defense gives us quality, but it also gives us intelligence in closing passing lanes. He can regain the ball by cutting passes more than through physical interventions, and that makes him very valuable."

With this result, Milan has moved to the top of the table alongside Napoli and Roma with 12 points, which is notable considering the team lost its opening match at home against Cremonese.

The coach commented: "Football is strange, because Maignan did not save any ball against Cremonese, but we were punished by two mistakes and by missing opportunities on the other side. It was the first match, and the more the team plays together, the better the harmony between them improves."

On facing Juventus in the next round: "It's a bit strange, as I played this match from both sides, I was at Milan first, then at Juventus, and now I'm back at Milan again. It's a great match in any case."