Massimiliano Allegri believes Rafael Leao benefited from the boos aimed towards him by AC Milan during their defeat to Udinese.
The Rossoneri fell to a 3-0 defeat last weekend, with Leao receiving jeers from the home fans at San Siro when being substituted off.
Leao has failed to score in his last four games; he has netted nine times in 24 Serie A games this season.
This is the Serie A season in which Leao has recorded both his lowest successful take-ons per game average (0.9) and his lowest take-on success rate (40.4%).
Milan face Hellas Verona on Sunday, and Allegri is confident both Leao and the rest of his attackers can regain their scoring touch.
"Those boos were probably useful for Leao. He understood that in life, things don't always go well," Allegri said.
"He'll react well. He's had a good week of training, like everyone. I'm convinced the forwards will start scoring again.
"The team will need to go back to approaching matches in order. Against Udinese, we weren't properly set up defensively for even a minute. We were too disorganised."
Massimiliano Allegri previews our away trip to Verona
— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 18, 2026
Verona are in the relegation zone in the Italian top-flight, in desperate need of victory with six games to go.
Allegri believes their opponent's desire for victory could complicate things at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
"It's an important match because we need to get back to winning against a team that plays on the counterattack and is still very much alive," added Allegri.
"It will take a team performance. There are six matches left, and tomorrow is an important game for our objective.
"We simply need to play football calmly, with great unity and order."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hellas Verona – Gift Orban
Verona continue to be the side who have scored the fewest goals in the last 15 minutes of play in Serie A this season (just one goal, Gift Orban's against Fiorentina on December 14) and the side who have conceded the most goals from the 76th minute onwards (18).
Orban is Verona's top scorer in the league this season, with seven goals, while he has provided two assists.
AC Milan – Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic's last Serie A goal was against Verona at San Siro on 28th December 2025; since then, the American has gone 14 consecutive appearances in the competition without scoring.
This is his longest goal drought in Serie A and his longest overall since 16 consecutive matches with Chelsea in the Premier League between October 2022 and May 2023.
MATCH PREDICTION – AC MILAN WIN
Milan have won all of their last 10 Serie A matches against Verona, by an aggregate score of 22-6. So far, the Rossoneri have only won more than 10 consecutive games in the competition against one opponent in their history: against Chievo (13).
Milan have also won their last six away games at the Bentegodi against Verona in Serie A, also keeping three clean sheets in the process.
In their previous eight away games against Verona in the competition, the Rossoneri had only managed two wins (D2 L4).
Verona have lost their last four Serie A matches and have not recorded a worse run in the competition since a sequence of five defeats between October and November 2023, under Marco Baroni.
However, Milan have lost their last two Serie A matches without scoring; the Rossoneri have not suffered three consecutive defeats in the competition since March 2025, and have not lost three games in a row without finding the net since April 1967.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Hellas Verona – 18.2%
Draw – 23.5%
AC Milan – 58.3%