AC Milan’s push for Champions League qualification suffers a setback as Massimiliano Allegri’s side lose 2-0 at Sassuolo, leaving the coach warning that the team must not undo “10 months of work” despite still holding a strong position in the Serie A top-four race.

The defeat at the MAPEI Stadium denies Milan the chance to draw level with second-place Napoli and move eight points clear of Como in fifth. Allegri stresses that the situation in the table remains under control, yet also accepts the performance falls well below the standard needed in this stage of the season.

Allegri voices frustration with Milan’s approach in both halves, highlighting how the display reflects a difficult spell. “We approached both halves badly, especially the second,” he told DAZN.”We threw it away. That’show its going in this period.” The coach focuses on mentality and decision-making rather than only the numerical damage in the standings.

The match quickly tilts against Milan when Fikayo Tomori receives two yellow cards in the first half, leaving the Rossoneri with 10 players for more than an hour. Even considering the dismissal, Allegri describes the overall level as far from acceptable for a team chasing Champions League qualification, and demands a stronger reaction in the coming fixtures.

Statistically, Milan struggle badly in attack against Sassuolo. The team registers only one shot on target across 90 minutes and posts an expected goals figure of 0.27. That xG number is Milan’s lowest in a Serie A match for eight years, and the match becomes the fifth time in seven league games that Allegri’s side fail to score.

Allegri insists the broader picture remains positive but admits the display is far from their usual level. “You can’t waste 10 months of work.Technically, we made a lot of mistakes. It was a bad day, a bad Sunday. We have to meet again on Tuesday and work to fix it. [Our top-four place is] not at risk. I would be very happy to confirm it on the final day as well. I am with the team every day, and this is a difficult moment. We have to stay calm and take responsibility; we have to prepare as best we can for the game against Atalanta [next weekend]. We’ve done 10 months of good work, we’re in the final stretch. We haven’t done very well in the second half of the season, we can’t change that any more. We just have to look ahead. Until the end, we have to stay grounded and work to overcome these moments of difficulty. I understand the fans, we all wanted to get over the finish line quickly, but we can’t get anxious.”

The head coach underlines that Milan are entering the decisive stage of the campaign and cannot afford further lapses. Allegri accepts that results in the second half of the season have dipped, yet urges the squad to stay composed, respond together and secure Champions League football before pressure from chasing teams such as Como grows any stronger.