AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has berated his side for their lack of focus against Sassuolo, especially after having taken the lead inside 21 minutes.
It was an afternoon to forget for the Rossoneri as they lost 3-1 to Sassuolo. Milan took an early lead through Alessio Romagnoli’s header but quickly conceded an equaliser to Gianluca Scamacca and an own-goal to turn the game on its head, before Domenico Berardi sealed the win in the second half.
Pioli spoke to the microphones of Milan TV after the defeat and had some stern words for how his team again let sloppy mistakes guide them to another defeat.
“A good approach is not enough if you don’t stay focused throughout the game. We started the game well against a difficult opponent, then we didn’t manage the balls and our possession well,” he said (via MilanNews).
“We then immediately conceded the equaliser and a goal on corner kick from a centre-forward who broke away from behind and didn’t jump. We lacked ideas and we relied on individual plays that didn’t arrive.
Was bad ball management one of the causes of the defeat?
“The bad management of the ball is to be noted as a mistake, especially immediately after we took the lead. We were well on our feet and we had to manage the moment after their advantage well. We found spaces but we did not use them. We lost quality in certain plays, we were not concrete and we paid for it.”
Is there something to fix defensively?
“We will get out quickly but defensively there is something to fix. We are not used to suffering so much even if we have not suffered so much against our opponents from an attacking point of view, but it was more goals resulting from individual mistakes, this is a fault. We have to be more determined and return to victory.
“Mentally we felt the goals. We can concede the goals but we must not concede them mentally. We must not lose the ideas and the clarity that can allow you to stay in the game. We have never found the winning play either at the individual level or at the level of squad.”
