Why AC Milan’s Record Against the Bottom Half Could Be Their Achilles Heel

On a night where the Serie A title race swung firmly in Inter Milan’s favor, rivals AC Milan were left ruing an abundance of missed chances as they slumped to a frustrating draw against Genoa.

Rafael Leao proved to be Milan’s saviour on the night after his 92nd minute header was enough to secure a point on matchday 19.

That was despite Genoa being handed a golden opportunity to collect all three points from the penalty spot even deeper into stoppage time, only for Nicolae Stanciu to blaze his effort clear of the bar.

In a week where the leading pack have stuttered, with Napoli also dropping points in a dramatic 2-2 draw against 19th-placed Verona, Inter stretched their lead at the summit to three points.

Inter’s win at Parma was their sixth straight victory since losing to Milan towards the end of November, a run which has seen Cristian Chivu’s attack click into place with 14 goals, while allowing just two.

It leaves Napoli trailing by four, and Milan by three as the season ticks past the halfway stage.

Milan manager Max Allegri will be eager to stamp out these kinds of results, which have marred an otherwise resurgent season for the Rossoneri.

Milan’s favorable January fixtures could well have seen them leapfrog to the top of the table, but they are once again struggling to make it count in must-win games.

This latest result against 17th-placed Genoa was the fifth occasion Milan have dropped points against bottom-half teams this season, which could prove to be their undoing in the Serie A title race.

Rafa nodded in his seventh league goal this season 😌

Brought to you by @SN4IFUN pic.twitter.com/ircTnRtmG0

— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 9, 2026

AC Milan’s Record Against Bottom-Half Teams 2025-26

There are two ways to look at AC Milan’s season up to this point.

They have, by and large, been impeccable in the games that may decide the title race.

They are unbeaten against teams currently in the top-half, winning six out of a possible eight and dropping points in tough fixtures on the road against Atalanta and Juventus.

Milan have already taken all three points from both Napoli and Inter, but it is their worrying record in games against the lesser teams that may see their season unravel.

Thursday’s draw against Genoa was the fifth time Milan have dropped points against teams in the bottom-half.

Their struggles against teams near the foot of the table have been well-documented.

Against newly-promoted Cremonese, Pisa and Sassuolo, the Rossoneri collected just two points from nine, conceding six goals in the process.

Compare that to their record against the rest of the top five, and they have collected 10 points while scoring 12.

This is perhaps an interesting look into the tactical rigidity of Max Allegri’s game plan, which clearly favors being in a low block and allowing the opposition to have the lion’s share of possession.

For example, those fixtures against the top five saw the opposition have an average possession of 60 percent.

Milan were afforded chances in abundance against Genoa last time out, registering 26 shots, albeit with just seven of those on target.

Niclas Fullkrug’s addition will more than likely not be enough to solve a blunted attack, and AC Milan’s striker issues, particularly in matches where they should be scoring more, may prove untenable in the Serie A title race.