Satisfaction and pragmatism were the words of Massimiliano Allegri after the 2-1 victory over Napoli at San Siro. AC Milan, down to ten men for over half an hour, displayed unity and sacrifice, qualities the coach emphasized to DAZN.
"It was a very difficult test ," Allegri said . " After the sending-off, we showed that if we defend carefully, we can give away very little. Let's enjoy the victory, but from tomorrow onwards, we'll focus on finishing on a high note before the break. There will be other tough matches in this championship, but with this attitude, it will be easier to bring home the points."
The coach also discussed individual players, starting with Leao: "He's recovering and will improve with time. Up front, we have five players for two or three spots: whoever plays has to run a lot. I'm disappointed Nkunku didn't come on; Gimenez worked well." The coach then praised Modric's performance: "He manages the defense better, he brings quality and intelligence to our game, he knows how to intercept balls and restart the play."
Finally, Allegri doesn't forget the lapses of concentration from the past: "Against Cremonese, we conceded two truly avoidable goals. The more we play together, the better we get. Now we face Juve, and it'll be a wonderful match: I've played a lot on both sides, so it'll be fun."
Allegri said the team needs to be careful defensively, but I don't understand why they conceded two goals against Cremonese. The players need to do better, especially Leao, who needs to improve. The match against Juve will be difficult.