Milan went above and beyond to arrest a two-game winless run across all competitions in a dramatic 1-0 home victory over Hellas Verona on Saturday. While Rossoneri achieved their goal, courtesy of Rafael Leao’s heroics, their performance was average, at best, warranting occasional whistles from the stands.
After a disturbing Derby della Madonnina last week and a catalog of misses against Newcastle United in midweek Champions League action, Milan headed into proceedings searching for a way to redeem themselves to the fans. When Leao struck home in the eighth minute, everyone at San Siro thought Stefano Pioli’s side could dismantle Verona, as they did on last season’s final day.
Little did anyone in attendance know it would be the only goal of the game, let alone a rare scoring opportunity for Milan today. Instead of a spectacle, the Rossoneri faithful had to endure a painful afternoon, with Pioli’s men often fighting tooth and nail at the back to keep hold of their slender lead.
There’s no doubt Milan fans wouldn’t agree, but Pioli was actually pleased with his side’s response to recent upsets. During the post-match interview, the Italian tactician highlighted the importance of today’s triumph.
“We always play to win, it’s an important victory because it’s been a tiring week from a mental and physical point of view. We met a team that is doing well at the moment, they attacked us a lot,” the Milan boss said, as relayed by MilanNews.
“Maybe at times our construction was a little too slow and we lacked some plays between the lines and some depth on the flanks. But we played as a team, we worked hard and it’s a victory that will do us good.“
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |