AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has claimed that his side showed they are not a ‘normal team’ during Thursday night’s 3-1 win over Celtic.
It looked as though the Rossoneri would coast to victory as they took a two-goal lead into the break thanks to goals from Rade Krunic and Brahim Diaz, the second coming minutes before the interval.
However, substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi made it a very nervous last few minutes for the away side as he headed home from a corner to halve the deficit, though they could not force an equaliser.
Jens Petter Hauge restored the two-goal advantage in the final moments as he scored his first for the club with a composed finish.
Pioli spoke to the cameras after the game, and revealed his belief that his side showed they are not a normal team.
“It was a game we controlled well with character and quality, although we made a few more technical errors and ran a few risks in the second half,” Pioli told Sky Italia (via Football Italia).
“It was very important for us to prove we are not a normal team. A normal team shows less motivation and determination after such a thrilling victory as the derby, but we proved that we are taking it one game at a time and want to keep winning.
“There’s no secret, it’s just that we’ve all been working in the same direction for some time now. The club, players, staff all feel like an integral part of this project and we all work together to keep improving.
“The club deserves credit for continuing the work we’ve been doing and bringing in some talented young players who can add more to the mix.
“Good results boost self-belief, but we know full well the difficult moments will come and we’ll have to work our way through them.
“It’s a young squad, but even a player like Gigio Donnarumma is 21 years old and yet already a mature person and player with plenty of experience.
“I think we’re doing well because we don’t waste a moment of the time we have together and always consider the next match to be the most important.
“I think it all changed in January, when we brought in players who were more suited to our style of football and filled the gaps that we had in the squad.
“We think that we are at a good level, we know where we want to end up, as we are ambitious, but must also not be hasty or try to cut corners in order to get there.
“We continue to work on every detail, technical, tactical, physical, dietary, and will probably bolster the options further in January or next season. Having said that, there are currently four or five teams in Serie A that are stronger on paper, that’s beyond doubt, and we must focus on our journey.”
On Monday’s game against Roma, he added: “Roma have a remarkable front line, so it’ll be another big test, but we want to continue our positive form and above al the journey that has seen us progress constantly since January.”
