The Serbian scored his second goal of the season, and his celebration—with the ball tucked under his jersey—revealed that he’ll become a father this spring. Allegri calls him a “goal-scorer” and smiles: against Juve, Roma, and Napoli, he conceded just one goal in 270 minutes

Massimiliano Allegri says we need to picture Pavlovic two or three years from now. He means that this is the timeframe over which Strahinja will complete his development—he’s 24 now—and become reliable in all the facets that make up a defender. In the meantime, though, Max is enjoying him right now because his No. 31 has made a major impact in Milan’s league campaign. Three points taken from a direct competitor for the Champions League and three points graciously handed to a team that, coming off three draws in its previous four matches, was hitting the brakes a bit too hard. A center back decided the match, and that’s great news in many ways. For the Serbian personally, it’s obvious: this is already his second goal of the season (the first came in the Rossoneri’s only loss, against Cremonese), and in this context, it’s even more impressive to see Gimenez’s goal tally remain at zero. But above all, it’s good news for the team as a whole because, while it’s true that this Milan side often sits too deep in its own half, when it pushes forward toward the opponent’s goal, it’s capable of putting the ball in the path of anyone.

Pavlovic is undoubtedly a 2.0 version of himself because Allegri has transformed him into a fearless attacker. It’s no coincidence that, in the post-match interview, Allegri jokingly called him a “bomber.” Credit goes first and foremost to the three-man defense—that much is clear: in a back four, such freedom wouldn’t be allowed, and so the Serbian seems to be having a blast joining the attack. Sometimes he gallops down the wing like a pure winger. Other times, as in this case, he follows the play by cutting inside. He scored a goal like a true center forward, making his run at just the right moment and shaking off his marker. It was even a delicate left-footed touch—and he’s not exactly known for his “delicacy”: he cleverly slipped the ball under El Aynaoui’s legs, perhaps resisting the instinct to use too much force. With these new tactical assignments, Pavlovic is one of Allegri’s most successful creations; Allegri, of course, asks him above all to do what Strahinja does best: stand his ground, with a marine’s resolve, in front of opposing forwards.

Pavlovic’s signature move—  This is his calling card, while he works on improving in other areas. Pavlovic is sometimes out of position, sometimes misjudges his timing when coming off his line, and at other times fumbles like a third-rate stopper. Then, however, there are much more beautiful goals: “I’m very happy about this goal and the victory. I’m also very happy because I’m going to be a dad.” In fact, he celebrated by tucking the ball under his jersey. Then he returned to talking about soccer: “The coach appreciates this kind of run; he gives me a lot of guidance. And as I was running, I thought about what he told me: when Leao runs, you have to try to create space and create chances. And that’s what I did.” Pavlovic is a double symbol of this match. In the sense that he’s the perfect embodiment of Allegri’s style: a defender who seals the victory while also helping to keep his goal locked tight. The Rossoneri’s last clean sheet came over a month ago, on October 5 at Juventus. After that match at the Stadium, they went three games without keeping a clean sheet, conceding four goals—and in fact, Allegri had pointed this out with some concern the day before the match. However, his Milan side has conceded just one goal against Napoli, Juventus, and Roma combined—a statistic that brings a smile back and erases that concern. Even so, there are excellent reasons to be on edge when you consider that the same team conceded four goals against Cremonese and Pisa. There’s still some work to be done at the back.