AC Milan hero Demetrio Albertini has been left impressed by their start to the season.
Milan won 3-0 at Hellas Verona on the weekend, taking them third on the Serie A table.
Albertini told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Milan have one of the strongest midfielders in the league. I'd say they're on a par with Napoli. Allegri might be lacking something in attack, but in midfield he's already found the right balance between young and old. And by old, I'm clearly referring to that champion called Modric."
Regarding the performance of the former Real Madrid star, he then explained: "Modric has brought calm and serenity to the group. Only a great champion who plays in that role can get his teammates to perform better than expected. With Luka, everything is easier. Both for young players and newcomers.
"Is he like (Andrea) Pirlo? The comparison between the two holds true, and it's no coincidence that they are two attacking midfielders who, over the course of their careers, have moved back to put their quality at the service of the team. Pirlo has changed football in that role, and now Milan has another champion in front of the defense."