Massimiliano Allegri warned his AC Milan side that what they have built so far could still be ‘destroyed’ very quickly, after the defeat to Lazio.
Just like it was in the Coppa Italia earlier in the season, Lazio away proved to be a step too far for Milan. The Biancocelesti ran out 1-0 winners thanks to Gustav Isaksen’s goal in the 26th minute, which was the reward for a good first half performance.
Milan dominated the second half in terms of territory but failed to find an equaliser as the quality of chances just were not there. The wins against Cremonese and Inter were not followed by a third successive victory, and now the Nerazzurri are eight points clear at the top.
Allegri spoke at a post-match press conference and to TeleLombardia after the game at the Olimpico, and MilanNews relayed what he had to say following a bitter night.
Is it clear to you why the team has such a poor attitude in the first half?
“In the first half. Lazio ran a lot, we were caught in a lot of counter-attacks, often remaining one-on-one behind and making a lot of technical errors. In the first half, we didn’t win a single physical or technical duel. In the second half, we improved, but we weren’t able to score.”
Is it that Leao and Pulisic don’t look good together?
“When you lose games, you can see a lot of things in hindsight. Pulisic is improving his fitness. Leao wasn’t served well tonight, otherwise he would have found himself in front of the goalkeeper.
“It’s not a question of Pulisic and Leao, but that we played a frenetic game against a team that jumped on you, losing every physical duel. The most important thing, even though I understand there’s a lot of bitterness and disappointment, is not to lose sight of reality.
“Milan are having a good season, it’s a shame because we could have closed the gap on Inter. But building takes a long time, destroying takes a short time. So we have to be careful.
“We have to accept this defeat with bitterness and disappointment, but from Tuesday onwards we can focus on Torino. And for us, Saturday becomes vital for the Champions League race.”
How will you address this issue?
“It’s not like a poorly played first half can change a team’s performance over the course of a season… Absolutely not. We need to focus on working hard and Saturday’s match.”
Why was Leao not given any service from Pulisic?
“Sometimes you don’t see passes, and then it happens. But it’s not just Leao, it’s also with others, like Jashari in the first half. The choice of the final pass changes matches.
“He was a little nervous because he could have been served, but he wasn’t. He got a little nervous there. The Scudetto race never really started.”
Poor prep by Allegri. Salad on Tavares and Estupinan on Isaak were detrimental without double marking each…