AC Milan Vs Como [1–1] – Serie A 2025/2026: Why I Rossoneri Dropped Points In Their Scudetto Chase – Tactical Analysis

AC Milan hosted Como at San Siro for the delayed Gameweek 24 match in Serie A, and the match ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw for both sides.

It is a painful result for Milan because it gives Inter Milan a seven-point advantage at the top of the table, complicating Milan’s hopes of winning the Serie A title.

It is true that Derby della Madonnina will take place soon and might change everything if Milan wins, yet the mission is becoming increasingly difficult for I Rossoneri in this regard.

That said, Milan are still well-positioned to secure second place, which qualifies them for next season’s UEFA Champions League, which is a step up after failing to qualify for any European tournament last season.

On the other hand, Como’s situation is still not as bad as it might seem since they are holding sixth spot following this draw, meaning that they are not too distant from the battle for the top four.

At the same time, they are holding a spot that qualifies them for the UEFA Conference League, something that would already be considered an achievement if Como can preserve it till the end of the season.

In this tactical analysis, we focus on Milan’s attacking performance, particularly their counterattacking plans, strengths, and areas for improvement.

Milan Vs Como Lineups & Formations

Massimiliano Allegri opted for the usual 3-5-2 formation, with Mike Maignan as goalkeeper, Fikayo Tomori, Koni De Winter, and  Strahinja Pavlović as centre-backs, Zachary Athekame and Davide Bartesaghi as wing-backs, and Ardon Jashari and Samuele Ricci as central midfielders.

In addition to both central midfielders, Luka Modrić played as a defensive midfielder, and the attacking line was formed of both Christopher Nkunku and Rafael Leão.

On the other side, Cesc Fàbregas started the match in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Jean Butez as the goalkeeper, with Jacobo Ramón, Diego Carlos, and Marc-Oliver Kempf as centre-backs.

The midfield comprised Sergi Roberto and Máximo Perrone as central midfielders, with Ignace Van der Brempt and Mërgim Vojvoda as wing-backs.

Upfront, the attacking line was made up of Maxence Caqueret as a right winger, Martin Baturina as a left winger, and Nico Paz as the team’s false nine.

Milan Counterattacking Positives & Errors

Milan started the match with a cautious attitude.

They waited for Como to advance despite Como’s attempts to attract Milan into pressing high using their ball possession in defence and on the flanks.

Milan, however, chose to remain cautious and defend with more organisation, without putting their defensive line at unnecessary risk, especially given the very dangerous attacking line of Como.

On the other hand, Como approached the game with more risk-taking, pressing high on Milan’s build-up from the back and trying to prevent them from building well.

This was risky because the high pressing was accompanied by a high defensive line, and Milan could find themselves at the back of that line quickly, with just one or two key passes, especially from the wings, as they did in the first minutes, but then find themselves in an offside situation.

Milan relied on solid defending and did their best to be dangerous on the counterattack and in quick attacking transitions, aiming to hurt Como’s advancing defensive block.

Milan Final Passing Error

I Rossoneri got very close to scoring following an intelligent Modrić interception of a corner-kick pass, before the latter served Athekame in space.

Athekame was good enough regarding his movement without the ball and his acceleration with the ball in order to win precious time over Como’s defenders.

However, he should have been more attentive and more intelligent in terms of his final pass, as that pass could have been crucial if it had been successful.

The situation was very dangerous, and Jashari positioned himself well inside the box, putting himself in a goalscoring position.

However, Athekame failed to be decisive in this situation as his key pass was easily intercepted by Como’s defender, preventing an early, crucial goalscoring situation.

Working on final passes and having the vision and intelligent decision-making to deliver key passes accurately and effectively are aspects Milan should improve to make the most of these counterattacking situations.

Following Como’s goal thanks to Paz’s high pressing on Maignan and the latter’s wrong pass, Milan tried to change their attacking plans by intensifying their attacks and using more players in penetrating towards the box.

For instance, Tomori got very close to scoring following his excellent one-two combination with Athekame, as he passed to him and attacked the penalty area to receive a cross on the near post and shoot with power.

Moreover, it is important to note that Leão started the match as the main striker in the box, while Nkunku played more on the left wing.

But later on, Leão was instructed to exchange roles with Nkunku, becoming the one who moves more outside the box and leans towards the left when needed.

This helped Leão gain more freedom and create more danger, but without tangible results.

Milan Change Of Approach & Reliance On High Pressing

Milan changed their approach in the second half and started applying pressure on the ball holder inside Como’s own half, which helped them win the ball more often in that area and launch more dangerous attacking actions.

Modrić and Jashari were crucial in this regard, as their advancing without the ball during the non-possession phase helped surprise the opponent’s build-up from the back and allowed Milan to make important recoveries inside Como’s half.

The following picture highlights one of the key recoveries inside Como’s half, as this interception from Modrić, along with the disturbance from Jashari, allowed Nkunku to make a forward run and force a Como defender into committing a foul near the edge of the box.

Milan Perfect Counterattacking Action: Ardon Jashari Long-Pass Assist & Rafael Leão Crucial Finishing

With the substitution of Niclas Füllkrug for Nkunku, Leão was instructed to move to the left and play more between the lines while Füllkrug became the main striker inside the box.

Milan’s equalising goal came immediately after that substitution, thanks mainly to Jashari’s exceptional long-passing abilities and his ability to spot Leão’s key positioning inside Como’s own half to create a decisive counter-attacking action.

Milan exploited the fact that Como did not retreat and tried to continue pressing high on Milan, using a high defensive block despite their advantage.

The Rossoneri eventually succeeded in punishing Como for this ambitious approach thanks to Jashari’s excellent reflex as soon as he got the ball, despite receiving it in a complicated situation.

It counts for him that he succeeded in passing the ball perfectly despite not being in a favourable situation.

Taking that quick, risky decision paid off, as Jashari confirmed he can be very useful as a playmaker for Milan, especially through his pinpointed long passes.

At the same time, Leão’s resistance to the disturbance of two opponents and ability to lob the ball past the goalkeeper with a single touch re-confirms the player’s developing goalscoring instinct and his ability to be crucial in front of goal despite getting few opportunities compared to other Serie A strikers.

Milan Counterattacking Misses

Milan could have added a second goal through another counter-attacking situation, with Youssouf Fofana providing a through pass in space to Füllkrug, but the pass was deflected by a defender, which suspended the action for a while and reduced its danger.

Furthermore, Alexis Saelemaekers added a lot of dynamism on the right wing, along with Fofana’s penetrations to the box, which helped add numerical superiority inside the box.

Fofana was also capable of scoring thanks to one of those penetrations, as he received an accurate cross from Saelemaekers but failed to orient his header well enough to hit the net despite escaping from marking and winning the aerial duel.

Milan continued their attempts throughout the last period of the match, thanks to exploiting Como’s advanced defensive line and trying to use the spaces left at their back.

Christian Pulisic had a crucial opportunity at the 83^rd minute that should have been handled differently, as the American forward has the quality to do better in similar situations.

Pulisic was put in a 1v1 against his direct opponent, with Bartesaghi providing support on the left to ensure numerical superiority and avoid double-marking.

This allowed Pulisic to cut inside quickly and aim for the shot, but his curved shot should have been much more powerful and more angled to disturb the goalkeeper.

It was not acceptable to shoot without the necessary power or precision, despite being in a favourable situation and having had the time and space to coordinate his body for the shot.

Conclusion

Milan lost two crucial points in their pursuit of Inter Milan for the league title following this result, as they failed to capitalise on many of the counterattacking opportunities they created.

Milan should work harder to improve their finishing and final passes during counterattacks, as committing errors in this regard cost them the three points in this match.

That said, there were many positives in the way Milan dealt with the match and limited Como’s threat, as they conceded far fewer opportunities than in the game played at Como recently.

This means that Milan knew how to defend against Como and adopted a successful approach, remaining compact at the back, marking their attacking players tightly, and punishing them with counterattacks before applying pressure on their build-up attempts in the second half.