AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli, has spoken to DAZN and said the following after the 1-3 victory against Empoli. Here are his words:
"This win is important. We prepared the game well, we had to score but we didn't in the first half. The injuries of Calabria and Saelemaekers disunited us a bit. We came from a defeat, it was important to restart. We must go forward with conviction. I train a group that always gives my best. We are satisfied with the victory."
On Ante Rebic's goal:
"I saw the videos of Empoli beating the throw-ins quickly. You can win in many ways, it means believing in it until the end."
On the team's growth:
"From the point of view of mentality and awareness, we have grown. We are no longer young, there are many players who are not yet complete, but we are strong. We are no longer young, but mature to make this type of performance."
Pioli on the injuries and team preparation:
"We will analyse the injuries. We had two muscle problems. Kjaer had been in the national team, Calabria was fine. Muscle injuries have increased by 20% in general. We will have to be even more compact."
On the performance of the team:
"I'm happy with the performance, of course we need to score more. For the game we play, we are going to concede something. At 76', it seemed strange to me that the game was still 0-0. We played with the right spirit until in the end."
Pioli commented on Fodé Ballo-Touré:
"He has a phenomenon in front of him (Theo Hernandez) and he struggled to find space. He needed some time to settle in, but he was always available. I'm happy for him. We won also due to the attitude of these players."
