Arrigo Sacchi praised AC Milan and Stefano Pioli in his editorial for Gazzetta Dello Sport this morning, stating that the Rossoneri displayed good character against Genoa. And the numbers speak for themselves.
Milan have won seven out of the first eight games this season and are thus first in the league standings with 21 points, two points ahead of city rivals Inter. Yesterday’s win against Genoa, therefore, was very important for the Rossoneri.
In his post-match analysis for Gazzetta Dello Sport, Sacchi praised Milan for the mentality they showed at Luigi Ferraris last night. He also spoke well of Pioli, who has managed to get his ideas across at the start of this season.
“Difficult match for Pioli’s boys, after their commitment in the Champions League. Milan fought a lot in Germany against Borussia Dortmund and the coach looked for new energy among those who had so far been used less.
“Cups, as we know, are wonderful to play, but you always pay a high price in terms of athletic and mental effort. I must say that in the first half, the three attackers were not very incisive: they almost never worried Genoa. But winning games like this is really important because it increases enthusiasm.
“The Rossoneri, all things considered, have won 7 out of 8 matches. In practice, they only made one mistake (and rightly lost) in the derby against Inter. An applause-worthy start to the season, especially considering the fact that the team had been heavily changed in the summer.
“This means that Pioli has worked well trying to convey his ideas, because the players have understood them and are putting them into practice. The overtaking of Inter, even if it’s too early to define it as decisive, has a specific weight that can be felt. Against Genoa, we saw character more than play. The team seemed a little too long (not compact enough) at times to me, but there is time to correct the mistakes,” he wrote.
Milan will face Juventus after the international break and they will be without the likes of Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez. It’s not ideal, but at least it looks like four players will be back in action then.