Stefano Pioli was full of praise for Yacine Adli and his attitude after being shifted to a new position, while he also explained his substitutions during the win over Roma.
There was a very memorable moment for Adli around 10 minutes into the game as he got his first goal for Milan. The midfielder got the ball on the edge of the box, showed composure to beat his man and then fired into the bottom corner with his left foot.
He had a very good night and was a man of the match candidate, as was Olivier Giroud who scored the second goal and got an assist for the third. Regardless, the Rossoneri got three crucial points after the midweek Coppa Italia exit.
Pioli spoke in the press conference room at San Siro immediately after the game to give his thoughts on a good night’s work, with his comments published by MilanNews and translated below.
Why did you decide to change the wingers at 2-1 up?
“We were starting to get tired and were struggling to press their wing-backs, so I preferred to insert a defender and things worked. Aside from the change, I think the team interpreted well the match, defending carefully, playing it as we wanted with determination and the right quality.”
Adli had a great game. I expected to hear the Marseillaise at the end of the match…
“Adli is winning the gamble, he is the one who agreed to change roles. Both tonight and Empoli are his two best matches. He is giving us good performances. I am very happy with the availability and commitment he has always put in.”
How has Gabbia been since his return?
“He has above all mental qualities and this is the main quality for a defender. I found him motivated and happy and the experience away from home has done him good. Now he has serenity, because he has arrived and is playing. The opponent was difficult, but he could also be a little easier to manage when often playing with his back to goal.”
Did you see the ghosts of last year when Roma scored?
“We managed it well in the second half. We just didn’t have the quality and determination needed to score the third goal.”
Is it too cold to play at night?
“I really like playing in the evening, I suffered a bit too. I think it’s difficult to play certain games at certain levels when playing three times a week. Luckily they also played on Wednesday. If I could I would have played tomorrow or Tuesday.”
