'If I had you on the bench!' - Max Allegri fires back at Italy legend for Rafael Leao over Santi Gimenez question and denies penalty 'confusion' as AC Milan go top of Serie A

Allegri robustly defended his tactical decisions and dismissed any suggestion of confusion over a late penalty after his side fought back to beat Fiorentina 2-1 and claim top spot in Serie A. Speaking to DAZN after the match, Allegri engaged in a sharp exchange with pundit and former Italy striker Vieri regarding his use of match-winner Leao and the decision to start without a recognised centre-forward.

When questioned by Vieri as to why he did not start Gimenez alongside Leao from the beginning, Allegri fired back with a pointed remark about the realities of in-game management. "If I had you on the bench, maybe I would have started with Gimenez," Allegri retorted. He explained the necessity of retaining an attacking option in reserve, especially given his team's current injury struggles.

"Games last 95 minutes," he continued. "If I didn't even have a striker on the bench... I had to read the game: I was lucky and it went well for me. The important thing was to keep it balanced, and in the first half we had chances." Allegri noted that he intended to bring Gimenez on earlier but waited until after a Fiorentina corner, eventually making the change immediately after Zachary Athekame received a yellow card.

The decisive moment of the match came in the 86th minute when Leao stepped up to convert the winning penalty. Allegri was quick to shut down any talk of uncertainty over who should have taken the spot-kick. "There was no confusion. I told Rafa to take the penalty: he had tried them and he had taken them well," the manager confirmed, before admitting, "Didn't I watch him? I never watch them."

Leao, who started the match as the most advanced attacker, was instrumental in the victory. After Robin Gosens gave Fiorentina a 55th-minute lead against the run of play, the Portuguese star equalised just eight minutes later with a superb curling effort from outside the box. It was a significant goal, marking his first in Serie A at the San Siro in 512 days. Allegri commented on how Leao’s role shifted after the introduction of Gimenez, stating: "When he had Gimenez in the second half, he was certainly more free to roam."

Despite conceding first, Allegri was pleased with his team's overall display and resilience. "I can only say that the team played a good game," he said. "Until the goal, we hadn't allowed a single shot on target, and we conceded a goal we could have avoided... After conceding, there was a good reaction: it wasn't easy, and we're happy about that." Match statistics support his assessment, showing that Fiorentina registered only one shot on target throughout the entire game. The victory was a testament to Milan's character, particularly with key players like Adrien Rabiot and Christian Pulisic sidelined through injury.

The win propels Milan to the top of the table on 16 points, the first time they have held the outright lead since matchday eight of the 2023-24 season. However, Allegri remained grounded, refusing to get carried away by their league position. "We're not sending any messages; we have to enjoy this victory," he insisted. "We still have a lot of points to reach our goal... we have to play with this enthusiasm, but without getting too excited, because we still have a long way to go."

Milan's resolve will be tested with a difficult run of fixtures. The Rossoneri will look to solidify their position at the top when they face Pisa next weekend, following a crucial encounter against Atalanta and Roma in the Serie A. Allegri is hopeful of reinforcing his squad ahead of these challenges, stating: "We'll be back here on Friday, and we hope to perhaps get Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christopher Nkunku back."