6 hours ago
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Massimiliano Allegri has again implored his AC Milan side to believe in their own abilities more after they scrapped hard for a win over Roma.
Milan were called upon for a big result given Inter’s win earlier in the day and Napoli being four points ahead, and they delivered it. The only goal of the game came courtesy of Strahinja Pavlovic, who was the unlikely recipient of a Rafael Leao pass as he ran forward to join a counter-attack.
Youssouf Fofana and Christopher Nkunku missed big chances to double the lead, then Mike Maignan was the hero in the closing stages as he saved a penalty from Paulo Dybala, with the Rossoneri hanging on for a huge victory in a Sunday night six-pointer at San Siro.
The coach speaks
Allegri spoke to DAZN after the full-time whistle to offer his thoughts on the performance from his side in what was a big win psychologically. MilanNews transcribed his words.
After the lead, you could have closed it out, but there was also some great solidity. Leao just mentioned this sense of sacrifice that the group has, do you feel like they are playing as a team?
“In the first 35 minutes, Roma absolutely deserved the lead. We couldn’t play and we made every technical mistake there was to make. We were under a lot of pressure.
“I think we should have dropped De Winter or Bartesaghi back to give those putting pressure on us more room. That didn’t happen. Then, once we took the lead, we positioned ourselves better defensively.
“In the second half, we came back very well. We had chances to double our lead, but we didn’t manage to. Then, obviously, you also have to defend, and we defended reasonably well in the penalty area: they didn’t have any real clear chances except for the first 35 minutes.”
Milan don’t seem approach matches optimally. Today, unlike other games, you took the lead and the team went for a second goal. What do you take away from this evening?
“We had a complicated approach tonight at the start, because they applied a lot of pressure. In the other games, we had a good start and a poor second half. Paradoxically, tonight in the second half, I asked the players to continue applying pressure.
“We lined up with four midfielders and spread the pitch out more, and we managed to apply more pressure because by pushing Saelemaekers up and widening Ricci, we were already on their midfielders who were opening up.
“These are the moves of a team that must improve its self-confidence in the qualities it has through these games. Playing at San Siro is not easy. In these three or four games, with the absence of Pulisic, Rabiot, and Tomori tonight, we’ve also seen players at San Siro with little experience of this stadium, and they handled it as best they could.
“Bartesaghi didn’t play well in the first 30 minutes, as did De Winter, who, I think, played all the balls backwards because he was playing with his back to the opponent. Then Bartesaghi played a good game for 60 minutes. We build from that. We could have done better in the 35 minutes, and we did.”
Did you like the Nkunku-Leao forward pairing?
“As for Rafa, he played a good match, as did Nkunku. If we have players with these characteristics, we need to somehow fix the attacking team. Chris is an extraordinary player. He’s small, but he took a lot of headers and defended the ball well. He can only improve.
“I’ve had many teams with a centre-forward and many without one – the important thing is to fill the penalty area. Fofana could have scored goals, but he didn’t, and we’ll get there. Even without a centre-forward, we’ll fill the penalty area somehow.”
Finally, a memory of Giovanni Galeone…
“It’s a sad day for me. The coach I was close to on a personal level has left us after 35 years. I joined Pescata from Pavia in 1991. They had signed Massara, and they included me in the squad. After I arrived there, after half an hour, I realised it was different.
“They told me I couldn’t play as an attacking midfielder and that I had to play as a midfielder. And from there, I began my modest playing career. He taught me a lot, and even though he was considered a great striker, I learned all the concepts and principles of defence from him.”
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