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AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri once again preached the need for calm after his side were dumped out of another competition.
Milan’s Supercoppa Italiana defence was halted at the first hurdle as they lost 2-0 to Napoli at the King Saud University Stadium. It comes not long after the Coppa Italia vanished as an objective with a 1-0 away defeat against Lazio, and it leaves only Serie A as the remaining competition.
In truth, the Rossoneri never really looked as up for it as Antonio Conte’s men, who took the lead just before the break through David Neres and doubled their advantage through Rasmus Hojlund. Koni De Winter and Mike Maignan did not exactly produce their best work on either goal.
‘We could definitely defend better’
Allegri spoke to SportMediaset immediately after the full-time whistle to offer his thoughts on what was another disappointing night in a cup competition for his side. His words are via MilanNews.
After the Coppa Italia, another competition is gone. Was there a lack of determination?
“We faced a strong Napoli, we knew it. We could have performed better on the two goals. It was a well-played match by both teams. They played better defensively and deservedly won.”
What do you think about the officiating?
“The referee did a great job, and the refereeing team did a great job. I have to analyse the game. We’ve been conceding goals a bit too easily in the last period, and we need to improve.
“Tonight’s defeat should be seen as an opportunity to get back on our feet. Fortunately, it was a cup match, and although we’re disappointed, we have to get back to the league now.”
What satisfied you today?
“That we had favourable situations. We handled the ball quite well, we needed to attack the box better. If you make a mistake like with the first goal, we could definitely defend better.
“When you consistently concede two goals for three games that you could have done better, you have to figure out how to do better.”
Given Milan’s squad, is it possible to change to a four-man defence as you did in the second half?
“Tonight was a game we needed to make tweaks for. But one match shouldn’t overturn what we’ve worked on in three months. We need to analyse things with clarity and composure.
“Only composure can help us achieve our goal of finishing in the top four. We’ve lost two cup games, but we absolutely must get back on track and work on the mistakes we’ve made.”
What did you think of Nkunku?
“He worked hard tonight, he had favourable situations. He has excellent qualities, he’ll get through it eventually. A goal might break the deadlock, we just have to keep believing.
“He’s been in Italy for three months, there are players who are having trouble settling in and struggling. A player’s qualities are important and must be exploited.”
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