Allegri ‘happy’ with draw but demands ‘reflections’ at Milan: “We made mistakes”

1 week ago 29

AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri believes that errors at both ends of the field cost his side two valuable points.

Milan had the chance to secure top spot for the weekend as they hosted the bottom-placed side in Serie A, and things were going according to plan when Rafael Leao scored in the opening few minutes.

However, there was to be a twist in proceedings as Pisa stunned the San Siro crowd by roaring back with a Juan Cuadrado penalty and an M’Bala Nzola finish to go 2-1 up in the second half.

Zachary Athekame’s first goal for the Rossoneri was one to remember as he fired in a shot off the post from 25 yards in added time to level things at 2-2, but that was how the score would remain.

Allegri’s reaction

Allegri spoke to Sky after the final whistle at San Siro to give his thoughts on what will still be viewed as two points dropped despite the late goal. MilanNews relayed his comments.

You seemed to be satisfied during the match. What is your analysis?

“We’re happy with the draw at the end. We made mistakes tonight and we need to reflect and work on the things that didn’t work out.

“We should have been 2-0 up, but at the same time, we were too deep: the two strikers were far from the midfielders, and there were too many gaps in the middle of the pitch. After the 1-0, we didn’t stay together and we got stretched.

“In the last five minutes, there are two things that need improvement: in those moments, two chances are enough to win the game, but in those moments, you can’t lose your head, because Pavlovic had to chase Nzola.”

Allegri arrivesPhoto by AC Milan

Is it a coincidence that Milan suffers against teams who play a low block?

“It’s not a matter of coincidence, it’s a matter of growth and understanding the moments of the game. Once we were ahead, we needed to be more focused and quick.”

Is that an attitude problem or do Pisa deserve credit?

“Both. Pisa played a good game, exploiting our weaknesses well. When they had the ball, we ran too far, and we can’t do that. After the 1-0 lead, it was time to double our lead; we had situations in the box where we could have been more focused. We need to keep working on this and improve.”

What do you like most about this team?

“Tonight we had our flaws because after going 1-0 up, we needed to calmly understand that we could make it 2-0 and do so without conceding anything. We had a Ricci situation in open play where he delayed the pass, and a couple of other situations.

“We can’t push forward in the final five minutes and risk losing the game. Today’s point is disappointing, but in the long run, it will be crucial for our seasonal objective.”

Moreo and Gabbia clashed on Pisa’s second goal…

“No, absolutely not. It was a long ball that caught us off guard, regardless of whether it was a foul or not. We didn’t lose, and that’s positive; at the same time, it will help us improve.”

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