AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri appeared in press statements after the 3-1 away win against Como in the sixteenth round of the Italian league.

Milan fell behind with a goal scored by Mark-Oliver Kempf with a header, but Christopher Nkunku's penalty kick in the final moments of the first half brought Milan back into the match. Key saves by Maignan, along with a brace from Adrien Rabiot, helped turn the result around.

The coach said in his talk: "We started playing with four midfielders when in possession, trying to create more passing lanes with Fofana, but we lost our cohesion after conceding the goal and faced significant risks from through balls and counterattacks. Without Maignan, we would have been out of the game."

He added: "After we came back against a strong team like Como, which plays good football and has clear danger, I pushed three players upfront, but after we took the lead, I returned to the formation we started the match with. We created other chances, and so did Como. This is a stubborn team that wanted to win at any cost."

The penalty kick involved some tension, as it seemed Rafael Leão wanted to take it, but Allegri signaled from the sideline that Nkunku would take the shot. Leão appeared a bit confused due to the change in plan.

He explained: "I wanted to give Leão more space near Nkunku, then open the field on the flanks during possession. He was great on the second goal, with his first touch controlling the long ball and providing the assist to Rabiot."

Regarding not seeing the penalty kick: "It is true that Leão wanted to take it; he is also a specialist, but at that moment I felt Nkunku should take the shot. I heard half the crowd cheering and feared he might miss it, then I saw the celebration on the bench."

Niklas Füllkrug participated as a substitute despite having a broken toe a few days earlier. When asked about relying more on a 4-3-3 formation, he replied: "He came in with good spirit, as did the other players. Playing against Como is not easy, and when you are behind, they keep creating chances."

He concluded: "At that stage, I preferred to strengthen the midfield by placing Leão and Saelemakers on the wings to calm Como's enthusiasm. Maignan kept us in the game. We were good and lucky to equalize through the penalty, but the match completely changed after the break."