Pioli after Milan-Turin: “Victory that gives relief, we needed it”

This time Pioli laughs. She releases her anger after Giroud’s goal and hugs her boys at the end of the game, one by one, like in the golden age. “Fundamental success,” she admits. Especially since he clears some clouds from the San Siro. Milan hadn’t won in four games, coming from the defeat in the derby and the nine slaps collected between Sassuolo and Lazio. Now, after the 1-0 success against Toro, Pioli looks to the Champions League match against Tottenham with an extra bit of peace of mind. “A relief to win like this”.

Restart

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So in the post-match: “We expected a tough game, we worked a lot and we’re happy. We were better in the second half. It’s a small step forward compared to the last few outings”. On the occasion of Giroud’s goal, Pioli sat on the bench clutching his face in his hands: “While I was celebrating I felt pain and I was worried. Seriously, these months have hurt and now we have to look ahead. Playing the league again The Champions League would be a good result, but there are several games to go. The coach must evaluate the performances and understand where to start again. Today we ended the match with a clean sheet. We need to have more mental confidence, start from the more solid defensive phase. This is just the first step”.

Singles

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Leao is back in the starting lineup after two exclusions in a row. He came close to a goal and started a couple of actions on the counterattack. Promoted: “He’s a strange player. In a positive sense, of course. I’ve always thought that putting him wide would help him. He was very happy with the position in which I deployed him, that is up front next to Giroud. He likes it”. Finally, on the umpteenth decisive leap from Olivier: “He’s a leader. The more strong players we have, the better he is. He’s one of those.”

Fans

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Almost seventy thousand spectators. The fans gave an extra boost: “They cheered us on from the first to the last minute – concludes Pioli -. They are giving us enormous support”. Eyes on the Champions League now: “I have to understand how Tomori and Bennacer are before figuring out what to do. Tactically they are an evolved team, let’s see”. Pioli concludes with a reflection on the moment the team is experiencing: “The negative results are felt, they are experienced. The week has more tension and less joy, it is clear, but winning was a nice relief”.