After the success against Napoli, securing a 2-1 win on aggregate, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli spoke to the media. Understandably so, the manager was very happy with his team’s performance.
Milan were under some pressure at the start of the game but managed to come out of it with no goals conceded. Instead, they took the lead through Olivier Giroud after a fantastic run by Rafael Leao, who was the MOTM in our player ratings.
Speaking to Infinity, as cited by MilanNews, Pioli spoke about the game and also mentioned the fact that everyone branded Milan as underdogs. The Rossoneri, just like in the Scudetto season, proved them wrong.
On the game…
“We always remember the game in Rio Ave very well. They all called us underdogs, but I train a group with a big heart. We grit our teeth and suffered: a wanted and well-deserved qualification. Congratulations to these guys.”
On the potential opponent…
“It’s clear that tonight it seems like there will be a derby. There will be two more beautiful, stimulating and very difficult challenges. We have done a lot and we absolutely do not want to stop.”
How did you set up the game?
“Having a 1-0 lead in the first leg helped us in one direction and slowed us down in the other. They, with Osimhen, had chosen to stay a little lower and we left them the ball of the game. Many had never played a match like this, so it’s okay that we dribbled less in the second half. But everyone sacrificed everything, we were a team. We’re happy for our fans who have always supported us even when things didn’t go well. We’re proud of them.”
Krunic didn’t do anything wrong…
“He has the ability to read the game that few has, now more people are seeing it. He’s very important to us”.
Milan will face Inter or Benfica in the semi-finals. The Nerazzurri have a 2-0 lead from the first leg and will play at home tomorrow. Therefore, it’s very likely that we will have a Derby della Madonnina in the Champions League semi-final.
