Massimiliano Allegri believes AC Milan must win five more games this season to secure a top-four spot in Serie A as he takes his focus away from the title race.
The Rossoneri defeated league leaders and rivals Inter last weekend to cut the gap between the two sides to just seven points.
Inter could only draw with Atalanta on Saturday, meaning the gap is at eight points ahead of Milan facing Lazio on Sunday.
Milan are nine points clear of fifth-place Roma, who are currently battling Juventus and Como for the final Champions League spot.
Allegri's side have picked up 60 points in 28 Serie A matches this season. Only twice in the last 20 top-flight campaigns have they recorded at least 63 points after their first 29 games: in 2011-12 (63) and 2021-22 (63).
But Allegri reiterated Milan's ambition to return to the Champions League, rather than win the Scudetto.
"We’re all happy after the last game and rightly so, but the team returned to a calm state," he said.
"Now we’ve got Lazio, though, which is always a complicated game because [Maurizio] Sarri’s sides are difficult to face.
"For us it’s an important game because we want to take another step forwards.
"We have to try and win games because you don’t get anywhere with just 60 points. Inter have a seven-point advantage, they’ve shown us that they’re the best and the strongest.
"There are also teams behind us chasing. We have to win more games to reach a certain quota. We have to win five more games to get into the top four."
The Boss previews our trip to the capital
— AC Milan (@acmilan) March 14, 2026
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lazio – Daniel Maldini
Maldini has scored for five different Serie A teams, with his goal against Sassuolo for Lazio meaning he has netted for Milan (2021-22), Cosenza, Spezia, Empoli and now the Biancocelesti.
He is one of only two footballers born in or after 2001 to score for five or more different clubs in the competition, alongside Roberto Piccoli (six).
AC Milan – Rafael Leao
Lazio are one of only two sides against which Leao has scored three or more goals and provided three or more assists in Serie A (three goals, four assists), alongside Hellas Verona.
The Milan forward has been involved in five goals across his last five Serie A appearances against Lazio (two goals and three assists).