 In the 2013–14 season, Abate scored his first Milan goal in a 3–3 draw with Bologna on the 25 September 2013

In the 2014–15 season, Abate captained Milan for the first time in his career, the first time in a 2–0 loss to Palermo on the 2 November 2014.Abate made his 200th Milan appearance on the 9 May 2015, in a 2–1 win over Roma.On 11 June 2015, Milan announced Abate had signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2019.