AC Milan’s current 9th place position in Serie A can be largely attributed to their inability to secure victories against other top-performing teams in the league. The Rossoneri’s recent 1-0 defeat to Atalanta at San Siro has effectively ended their hopes of qualifying for European competitions through their league standing.

This loss is just the latest in a series of poor results against teams above them in the table. Out of a potential 42 points available from matches against the top 8 teams, Milan managed to secure only 8 points, resulting from a single win, five draws, and eight losses.

Milan’s Struggles in Key Matches Prove Costly

Interestingly, half of those 8 points came from their encounters with local rivals Inter Milan, where they achieved a 2-1 victory and a 1-1 draw. However, Milan suffered home and away losses to both Napoli and Atalanta, while only managing to collect one point each from their two fixtures against Juventus, Lazio, and Fiorentina.

There is still a slim chance for Milan to improve their record, with upcoming matches against Bologna and Roma. In their previous encounters this season, Milan lost 2-1 to Bologna and drew 1-1 with Roma.

This poor performance against top-tier opposition has been a significant factor in Milan’s disappointing league position and their struggle to secure European football for next season.