After the Lazio-Milan match, Massimiliano Allegri commented on his team’s defeat in an interview with Sky Sport. Here’s what he said:
Did your team buckle under the pressure?
“No, it happens. We conceded more counterattacks in 45 minutes than in the whole season. We made a lot of technical mistakes near the box. In the second half, they dropped off, but we didn’t score.”
Is managing things more complicated now?
“We need to reset, because as I’ve said many times: I understand the dream, but we have to be realistic. You work a lot to build something, but it takes little to destroy it. We need to put this game behind us and focus on Torino, which becomes a crucial match for us in the race for second place and the Champions League spot.”
Leao is nervous, but is Allegri also frustrated with Leao?
“I know all the players. I know their technical and character traits. Each of them is unique. Rafa came off nervous because he didn’t want to leave the field.”
Realism: what does it mean? Even in a game like this, do you accept that it can be lost?
“We tried to win, but we faced an opponent who prepared the game perfectly. In the first half, we made technical mistakes in the final 16 meters, and you don’t score. What matters is what happens in the last 16 meters, in your box and theirs. We need to be better at attacking and defending, because everyone can play in the middle.”
When you chose to take Leao off, did you think it was the right decision?
"I made that choice because at that moment Pulisic was playing well on the left. Looking back, maybe I made a mistake. When you reach the edge of the box, you have to aim for the goal. Some things need improving, but we need to stay calm because we still have nine games to play to reach our objective. Winning would have brought us closer to Inter, but that’s the beauty of Inter: they thought they had lost two points, but instead they gained one."
