Following yet another 0-0 draw in the Champions League, this time against Borussia Dortmund, manager Stefano Pioli spoke about AC Milan’s performance. He admitted that they could have been more aggressive in the first half.
Just like in the game against Newcastle, the Rossoneri had quite a few chances but just lacked the final touch. Samuel Chukwueze had the biggest of the game but was denied by the goalkeeper after a poor first touch, making a poor cameo off the bench.
Speaking to Prime and Sky, as cited by MilanNews, Pioli echoed that Milan lacked the composure needed in front of goal after another decent performance. He also admitted that the Rossoneri could have been more aggressive in the first half.
On the game…
“We lacked precision in front of goal. In the first half, we also lacked a bit of technical clarity, we could have controlled the match better. It’s a shame not to score once again, it was the classic Champions League match. We had the best chances, but we weren’t able to score.
How are you experiencing this group?
“We live it with great concentration. It will be difficult to qualify, they are high-level teams and compared with the other groups, ours is the one with the most quality. Let’s think about Genoa, then we will prepare for the double match against PSG.”
Is Milan a more European team?
“We are neither European nor Italian, this is a Milan that has its own characteristics.”
Could the first half have been more aggressive?
“That was the intention, but we handled the ball poorly and gave them the chance to gain rhythm. Our opponents played with strength and quality. We played an excellent second half, with important chances unfortunately not converted.”
On Leao…
“I think Rafa played an excellent match. He’s always expected to do exceptional things, he can even be allowed some mistakes, some wrong decisions. He was a thorn in the side of their defence, he was very penetrative, he got past his man a lot. Then it’s clear that not winning these two Champions League matches leaves us with regret. We absolutely must insist on trying to grow further.”
Milan will take on Genoa on Saturday evening and will then have a much-needed break. The hope is that both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Rade Krunic will be back for the game against Juventus, which would be a big boost for Pioli.