Iconic Milan tactician Arrigo Sacchi has praised the Rossoneri for their resilient performance against Napoli, in what could well prove to be a decisive victory by the end of the season. Olivier Giroud scored the all-important winner at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the 49th minute, sealing all three points with ten matchdays to go.
Sacchi, who commentates in his weekly La Gazzetta dello Sport column (via PianetaMilan), celebrated his former team’s win but urged them not to get ahead of themselves.
“Of the top four in Serie A, Milan is the club that has spent the least time on top. Less than Inter, less than Napoli and less than Juventus. It means that the managers have been good at keeping the budgets in order and building a very competitive team,” he started.
The former coach also picked out two Rossoneri players who impressed him the most during the clash.
“Two above all: Rafael Leão and Theo Hernández. Leão seems to have a moped, while the others ride a bicycle, good at giving continuity to his action. And then Hernández, when he is physically fit, is really a bull: he has strength and endurance. He never gives up.
“In the recovery minutes he had the energy to make a sixty-meter sprint and give a golden assist to Alexis Saelemaekers. I also really liked Ismaël Bennacer: excellent in the pressing phase and in distributing the game. And I also saw Franck Kessié growing,” he revealed.
He finally pointed out what Milan lack as a team, and how they can improve going forward.
Sacchi commented: “Milan are a team that suffers a lot when others use their physique, their strength. They have to improve in this respect and never forget that their eventual success passes through the fluidity of the maneuvers, the attention that everyone puts into the game, the spirit of sacrifice.”
Milan sit on top of Scudetto standings with 60 points after 28 games. Napoli lie three points behind, but it is Inter who still dictate the table, sitting two points behind the Rossoneri with a game in hand.