AC Milan came away with all three points from their clash against Salernitana this afternoon and Stefano Pioli was understandably happy with the players. In fact, the scoreline could have been much more favourable.
The Rossoneri scored two goals within the first 15 minutes and then had plenty of chances to extend their lead. Guillermo Ochoa, the new Salernitana keeper, played brilliantly and really kept the home side in the game.
Speaking to Sky Italia after the game, as cited by SempreMilan.it, Pioli shared his thoughts on winning the first game of 2023. He was also asked about Charles De Ketelaere, who came off the bench today and did quite well.
On the game…
“A good game but there are situations we can improve. We didn’t have the ability to close the game. It was important to win. We knew we worked well. Today I saw an attentive and good vertical team. It is the first step towards important goals.”
On performance…
“Negative experiences make you understand what’s not working. The friendlies didn’t satisfy us and we corrected them. Then finding players of depth has given us something extra. We can face every game with conviction. There are difficulties but we want to claim a lot of points.”
On the Scudetto…
“We are racing ourselves. We started off with a win. We know that we are in the middle of important weeks, we will play a lot and we will have to do an excellent job.”
On goals conceded…
“We are conceding too many goals from crosses. It’s one of those aspects where we need to improve. Today was an avoidable goal.”
On Leao…
“He has conviction and happiness of being here. I always tell him that his growth journey with us is not finished. Today he played a game with exactly the right attitude. Playing like this, he will soon become a champion. He worked continuously and attacked deeply. He worked with the team and for the team. He must continue like this. He must be with us because we are fine and we want to grow together.”
On De Ketelaere…
“I liked him today. He’s physically better. The World Cup helped him to train well and also to catch his breath mentally. I’m sure of his qualities. I don’t want to repeat the same things but he has been with us for a few months and he has gone through many changes. Let’s remember Tonali and how much he put in. He is growing and will soon give us great satisfaction.”
Milan will face Roma this weekend and Pioli is hoping that this win can boost their confidence after the three friendly losses. Based on their performance today, the Rossoneri fans don’t need to be too worried about the form.
Leao need to come to city