The Milan coach praised his team’s performance after the draw with Newcastle: “We deserved to win; tonight, we hold our heads high. We responded well after the defeat in the derby. Leao’s opportunity? I thought he was going to destroy the goal…”
The performance was good, but the result wasn’t. After somehow a disappointing 0-0 draw against Newcastle, Stefano Pioli‘s assessment of the match was “simple” , especially coming after the heavy defeat in the derby. He commented on Sky, “I am very satisfied with the performance. We dominated and controlled the game in every aspect, but we didn’t capitalize some rather simple chances.”
Leao’s chances? “I thought he would destroy the goal. He did everything perfectly, he just couldn’t score. Today we deserved to win, the opponent was strong, but we did better than them in every aspect, we gave more intensity, and put more quality.
Regarding the fans’ reception after the derby: “I thank those who applauded me as well as understand those who booed me. The support for the team was incredible; and our fanbase is unique.
Was I afraid the team wouldn’t respond after the derby? No. Sunday was an extremely difficult day; the disappointment was huge because we approached the derby with very high motivations.”
Maignan injury: “Maignan says he felt something, but he already feels better, and I trust him. There are too many games to be played. Those who also played for the national team are phenomenal, but this raises the level of injuries as well.”
