AC Milan have had a difficult start to their season, but after a win against Inter and a performance to match it, perhaps, they have been given a golden opportunity to restart.
Since the defeat to Liverpool, the pressure has been on Milan – if it wasn’t already before – meaning the stakes against Inter could not be higher. Partnered with the fact that the Nerazzurri could have won their seventh successive derby, the Rossoneri had to be near-perfect.
Before the game, Paulo Fonseca made a few changes to his line-up and it is fair to say they paid off with the Diavolo nullifying a lot of Inter’s main threats for large parts of the game. Above all, though, Milan looked like a unified squad, who were willing to win for one another, for the coach, and for the fans, something which has not been seen enough this season.
It looked like the game was heading for a draw – which the Rossoneri would have been left disappointed by – until Matteo Gabbia met an inch-perfect Tijjani Reijnders set-piece in the dying embers of the game to make it 2-1.
Following the full-time whistle, the central defender spoke to DAZN (via Milan News) about the importance of his goal and the future of Fonseca.
“I am very happy for us and for the fans, it was a difficult moment when things were not going well. This victory gives us a lot of energy, I am happy for the team and for these wonderful people.
“It has to be the norm for us, even though a game like this is a lot, we have to take the field like we did tonight. By giving everything we can make the fans proud and at the end of the year we’ll see where we are.
“Training well is our duty, the coach says so but it’s normal. Having no regrets at the end of 90 minutes is what happened today. We are always at his side, beyond what is said outside.”
Gabbia:
“Sometimes the staff gets too much criticism because we (the players) make mistakes.
That’s a captain material player. Great comment
Indeed. Great Gabbia. I like him a lot and always had trouble understanding why he is rarely given the starting job. I think he is currently our best defender.
Statements that are not only elegant but also wise. Gabbia shows that he is not only fully worthy of being a starter at Milan, but also deserving of a place in the Squadra Azzurra. A great player, in every sense.
We have good rotation now. Also in defence. Too bad for Florenzi and Bennacer injuries. And also Sportiello is missing.
But at the end of day we need more players, and Fonseca needs to use them. It will not be easy but if Pioli took second place, than this year we can take at least second place, champions league 1/8 or 1/4 finals, and super coppa final, with some surprise result in coppa.