Luka Modric believes his winner in Milan’s final game against Pisa was crucial to continuing their charge of the Serie A title, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek admitted he heard Max Allegri’s angry complaints.
It was a far more serious affair than many expected in Pisa, a team that had already held the Rossoneri to a 2-2 draw at the San Siro in October.
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Loftus-Cheek nodded in tonight’s opener and Niklas Forkruger squandered a chance to extend the lead when he fired his penalty to the base of the post.
Felipe Loyola equalized for the home side but Modric turned back the clock and burst into the box to link up with Samuele Ricci to score the winning goal.
Modric and Loftus-Cheek keep Milan in contention for Scudetto
PISA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 13: AC Milan’s Luka Modric celebrates after scoring during the Serie A match between Pisa SC and AC Milan at the Garibaldi Arena on February 13, 2026 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
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“It was important for us and we couldn’t miss out on winning today because we knew these points were crucial to stay in the league and we did it,” Modric told DAZN Italia.
“We relaxed a little bit in the second half and didn’t pay enough attention and that’s why they scored. So we put the pressure on, pushed forward and scored that goal which was very important for us. We’re delighted with the win.
“Every game in Serie A is very difficult, so we have to keep working hard, get better and focus on the next game.”
At the age of 40 years and 157 days, the former Real Madrid star became the third Serie A player to score a goal, behind only Milan stars Alessandro Costacurta and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
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At one point, Milan fans even sang a chant in his honor, a chant that had been used by Napoli fans to address Diego Armando Maradona.
“It’s an honor to hear them sing this song to me. Thank you very much, I’m very happy to have this song played to me,” Modric blushed.
PISA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 13: AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek celebrates after scoring during the Serie A match between Pisa SC and AC Milan at the Garibaldi Arena on February 13, 2026 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Before the first goal, Allegri had been shouting at Loftus-Cheek to attack that space and become a striker rather than a midfielder, then turned to the bench after a header and noticed a run that paid off immediately.
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Loftus-Cheek smiled to DAZN Italia: “There wasn’t a lot of space between the lines, Pisa was very tight and difficult to kick.”
“When the ball went wide, I’m sure you could hear his voice and he was talking about getting in the box, attacking the box. Zach made a great cross and I finished it, so I was happy.”
Adrien Rabiot picked up two yellow cards in stoppage time, the first for a foul, then took his protest too far and will be suspended against both Como and Inter Milan.
PISA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 13: AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric celebrate after the Serie A match between Pisa SC and AC Milan at the Arena Garibaldi on February 13, 2026 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
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Considering the situation of the championship competition, should Milan focus on catching up with Inter Milan, or continue to catch up with Inter Milan and strive for the top four?
“I think the most important thing is to focus on us. The games are too difficult to look ahead and we have to take it one game at a time because you can see all games are difficult to win. If we turn our attention to other goals, other teams, it could be harmful. We will see where we are,” Loftus-Cheek concluded.