Milan, Oct 20 (IANS): AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri praised his side's defence in their 1-0 win over Udinese at home.

Valter Birsa scored the winner midway through the first half Saturday where the Milan team's defence improved, reports Xinhua.

"Given the fact that we have conceded 13 goals in the previous seven rounds, my players were concentrating on defence in this game. We did well to remain solid and tight. When our team is so compact, it becomes difficult for opponents to break through," said Allegri, attributing the improvement to the midfielders.

"The midfielders worked well, as did Robinho and Valter Birsa, while Riccardo Montolivo won back possession several times with smart interceptions. Nigel De Jong has also learned how to play in front of the defence whereas Montolivo played there in extraordinary fashion last season when Massimo Ambrosini was injured," he said.

Allegri insisted that his side deserved the win over Udinese.

"We played well in the first half but wasted a few too many counter-attack chances but then we created more chances after the break and it was a deserving victory. Even if he missed a lot of chances, M'Baye Niang got himself into the right positions while it was important to have Kaka come in at a time when we were struggling physically and psychologically," he added.

The Milan boss hinted that this win could boost his team's morale prior to their Champions League match against Barcelona Tuesday.

"The important thing was to win tonight. We'll need a perfect performance on Tuesday to get a result."