Udinese Shocks AC Milan with 3-0 Victory as San Siro Fans Boo Allegri

Udinese defeated AC Milan 3-0 at San Siro on Saturday, April 11, in the 32nd round of Serie A, inflicting a heavy home loss on Massimiliano Allegri's side and throwing Milan's Champions League qualification into serious doubt. The opening goal arrived in the 27th minute when Davide Bartesaghi deflected a cross from Arthur Atta into his own net. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp doubled the lead in the 37th minute with a header assisted by Nicolò Zaniolo, and Atta completed the rout in the 71st minute with a low right-footed shot set up by Ekkelenkamp. The result leaves Milan third in the standings on 63 (points) — Milan's Serie A points tally after round 32, while Udinese climbed to 10th place with 43 points. It was the second defeat in quick succession for Milan, who had already lost to Napoli in the previous round.

Goals — Milan vs Udinese, April 11, 2026: — ; — ; —

Leão deployed as striker, fans respond with whistles Allegri's tactical decision to field Rafael Leão as a center-forward in a 4-3-3 formation drew immediate and vocal criticism from Milan supporters inside San Siro. Leão, who plays naturally as a left winger, was flanked by Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers as wide attackers, a configuration that failed to produce any meaningful threat on goal. Fans directed specific whistles at the Portuguese forward during the match and again at the moment of his substitution, with supporters on social media questioning the deployment openly. The reaction at halftime was particularly sharp, with the crowd booing the entire team as they returned to the dressing room two goals down. Il Messaggero rated Leão's performance at 4 out of 10, describing it as a disaster, while Zaniolo earned a 7.5 for his role in all three Udinese goals. The discontent extended beyond Leão, with boos also aimed at Allegri himself at the final whistle, reflecting broader frustration with the team's direction in the closing weeks of the season.

Allegri had warned of a "complicated match" before kick-off In his pre-match press conference, Allegri acknowledged the difficulties facing his squad and called for calm after the Napoli defeat. He described Udinese as a physical team that covers the field in a devastating way and warned that the 18:00 kick-off temperature would reduce the rhythm of play. He also addressed the team's recent goal drought, noting that Milan had failed to score in three consecutive matches since the Parma game. „There are moments in which you don't manage to score. In which you lose the moment. But the quality of the players we have is high, it is necessary to be confident.” — Massimiliano Allegri via ANSA Allegri also commented on the broader situation, saying that one match must not destabilize a year's work and that evaluations at the end of the season must be made with lucidity and balance. The defeat, however, made those words harder to sustain, as the gap to the teams below Milan narrowed sharply.

AC Milan and Udinese have a long history in Serie A, with San Siro — officially the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza — serving as Milan's home ground for decades. Udinese, based in the northeastern city of Udine in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, have periodically produced strong seasons capable of troubling the traditional top clubs. According to il Giornale, this was Udinese's second victory at San Siro in the current season, underlining Kosta Runjaić's side's capacity to perform against larger clubs away from home. Allegri returned to manage Milan in May 2025, having previously coached the club in an earlier spell before a long tenure at Juventus.

Como and Juventus now within striking distance of third place The defeat left Milan's hold on a Champions League position fragile, with rivals yet to play in the same round. According to Adnkronos, Como could close to within two points of Milan if they beat Inter, while Napoli could extend their lead over Milan to five points with a win of their own. Il Messaggero reported that Juventus trailed Milan by six points before their own round-32 fixture, with the two sides still scheduled to meet in a direct clash later in the campaign. Roma, who beat Pisa the previous day, sat six points behind Milan with the head-to-head results also a factor in any final reckoning. Udinese, for their part, will host Parma in the next round, while Milan travel to face Hellas Verona away. Kosta Runjaić's side showed in this match the same organized, counter-attacking approach that has made them difficult opponents for the top half of the table throughout the season.

AC Milan: 63, Udinese: 43