Massimiliano Allegri, AC Milan coach, saw his team grab three important points at home against Stefano Pioli's Fiorentina. The Rossoneri won 2-1, thanks to Rafael Leao's brace.
Here's what 'Max' after his side's victory:
“A comment on Fiorentina’s VAR situation? No, I can only say the team played well. Until the goal, we hadn’t allowed a single shot on target and we conceded a goal we could have avoided. We had two chances in the first half with Tomori and Pavlović, plus a cross from Athekame. After the goal, there was a good reaction. It wasn’t easy, and we are happy with that," he told DAZN.
Are you satisfied with Leao as the main striker?
“When he had Giménez in front in the second half, he was freer to move, but you can also adapt to playing without a central striker. Fofana, especially in the second half, started making runs from midfield, and that’s a big advantage.”
Did Leao take the penalty? When was the decision made? Is he the designated penalty taker?
“There was no confusion. I told Rafa to take it. He had practiced and executed them well. Fofana is also a good penalty taker. We need to improve our missed penalty rate. Did I watch them? I never watch them.”
Why didn’t Giménez and Leao start the game?
“If you were on the bench, maybe I would have started with Giménez (addressing Vieri who asked the question). If I didn’t even have a striker on the bench… matches last 45 minutes. I waited to make the change because of a corner, but after Athekame’s yellow card I called Giménez immediately. I had to read the game, I was lucky and it worked out. The key was keeping the team balanced, and in the first half we had chances.”
The last time you were top alone was in 2022/2023 in the eighth round. What does this win mean? Allegri commented:
“We aren’t sending any message. We must enjoy this win. Many points are still needed for our goal, and from tomorrow we must recover as much energy as possible. On Friday, we play again, and hopefully Loftus and Nkunku will return. If we play like this, we will perform well. We must play with this enthusiasm but not overdo it, because the journey is still long.”
