AC Milan beat Lecce 3-0, goals thanks to Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic. After the match, coach Paulo Fonseca has talked to the media in a press conference.
Here are his words:
"Further steps forward today? Very important not to concede goals, Lecce had some opportunities. The team is growing, but I want more. We had some good moments, but we have to be more patient in games like this."
On Alvaro Morata, Fonseca said:
"Today, I spoke with the players, and he told me that he wanted to play. For me, it was important to deploy him."
Next, there is Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League...
"Leverkusen? It will be a different match. We were not lucky because we start in the Champions League against two teams that play very well. Only now am I starting to think about the Leverkusen match, which I follow anyway because I like them a lot."
On Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez' partnership:
"We never had a problem between us. Against Lazio I decided not to let them play and they understood and accepted it. Then we talked a lot to make them understand our way of playing and what the team can give. Theo was one of the last to arrive and played a lot last season, he arrived without preparation and he needs more time to be physically well."
AC Milan is at the top of the standings for tonight...
"This is the beauty of football", said Fonseca, "We always have to stay balanced because things can change. It was important to win the derby, but for me, it was even more crucial to win today. This isn't a criticism, but this team in recent years didn't play positional football; it often relied on counterattacks. Now we need to create space with rigorous positioning, doing things at the right time. The team did well today, but I want more."
On Rafael Leao, Fonseca commented:
"Speaking the same language helps. I've always had a good relationship with him, an open one. I've always told him that he's a great player, but now he needs to be a player for the team. I really like that he's decisive: today, he made a great assist for Theo. I like even more that I see his growth in defense, that he's in the right place to press when we need it. Today, Rafa is a different player. He's not perfect, he doesn't always do everything right, but he does it many times, and I highly value his effort to help the team."
