AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri pleased with Serie A top spot following Parma win

Massimiliano Allegri praised his side's 1-0 victory against Parma on Saturday evening and has expressed his delight at topping Serie A.

A stunning strike from Andrea Pirlo midway through the first half sealed the tie, but AC Milan enjoyed a comfortable victory over a side who now hover close to the relegation zone.

“It’s nice to see my side top of the league,” Allegri told SkySport.

“We played a great first half this evening and deserved our lead at the break.

“In the second period, Parma came fighting back and I think we dropped the tempo a little at times.

“Overall I was happy with the manner in which the boys regained control in the dying minutes. It was understandable that we wouldn’t be able to keep up our early pace for the entire 90 minutes but we need to learn to close out games.

“I was pleased with the way my side utilised the diamond [formation] this evening and given that it led to our first win on the road this term, it certainly worked for us on the night.”