AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim spoke to the microphones of Sky Sport 24 after his side's 3-1 victory over Inter in his first Derby della Madonnina.
Is this the most important victory of the season so far?
"It's important. The environment and atmosphere are fantastic, as you can obviously understand after a match like this, especially after a Wednesday like that. Naturally, even more so after the defeat against Bologna, we wanted to celebrate even more. I am really proud of what my players have done. With so little rest between matches, and especially after Bologna, once again, they fought throughout the entire game. I am really proud," as relayed via Milan News.
The team was almost perfect. Do you have anything to criticise? You seemed calmer today...
"I try to read and interpret what the team is telling me. From the very first minute, I had the feeling that we were ready to compete. The team was always focused and calm, so I always had that confidence."
Is Milan a different team with Modric, Rabiot and Pulisic?
"It's not just those three players. I think it is the whole environment and the team's concentration. I like the way everyone plays and expresses themselves. For example, I would like to talk a little about Pavlović and De Winter. They played the entire match, and considering the way they performed, especially against such a strong team in the box, they did very well. Then, of course, players like Rabiot, Pulisic and Moreira... everyone did very well. All together, I have to say, we were a better team."
Why did you play Gila on the right and De Winter in the centre? Amorim replied:
"Looking at Inter's statistics as well, we didn't know whether Dimarco would play. They play and cross a lot from the flanks, and they often look to create a numerical advantage in the box. So I think Pavlović and De Winter are the best players to deal with crosses. That was the idea: to match our defenders' specific qualities against their attackers, and everyone can play in slightly different positions across the defence."
How did you manage to give Inter so little space in the second half?
"I think the lines were closer together. You could see that throughout the match, whether we were pressing high or defending in a low block. The lines were always close together, so the distances were shorter, which obviously also allowed us to run less and remain fresher throughout the game.
"We were very aggressive in the wide areas, intercepting many crosses before they could even be delivered. That is very difficult against a team like Inter. We defended well by pressing high, but we also defended well down the flanks. We were more aggressive than we usually are."
Amorim, is winning the Scudetto possible?
"What Cardinale said was that, yes, the Scudetto is the objective, but it is also important to win these matches to show the fans that things will not change in a month, two months or a year. We have to go through this process. You cannot simply bring in a manager, change all the players and have a new squad for every new manager. That takes time. Then we will need magical nights and evenings, while obviously also going through difficult moments like Wednesday and enjoying the happiness of tonight. What I mean is that the situation will not change overnight. That is simply not possible. Is the Scudetto possible? I don't know when, but we still have to be very honest with the fans. I know people are not stupid. They understand and know where this team and this club are in their development."
