Philippe Mexes has warned Milan not to rest on their laurels after beating Barcelona. “Remember what happened with Arsenal…”
The Rossoneri earned a fantastic 2-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie last night.
Philippe Mexes has warned Milan not to rest on their laurels after beating Barcelona. “Remember what happened with Arsenal…”
The Rossoneri earned a fantastic 2-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie last night.
“It is very satisfying, even if we know there is the second leg to play,” Mexes told Radio RMC.
“We haven’t achieved anything yet, but it was good not to concede on home turf. We applied all the advice the Coach gave us and tactically Milan played very well.
“However, despite it all, we must not get ahead of ourselves. We haven’t qualified for the next round, nor won the Champions League. Even if we beat Barcelona, we haven’t actually done anything exceptional.
“Remember what happened with Arsenal last season, as we won 4-0 at home and then lost the second leg 3-0 with Robin Van Persie wasting a great chance at the end.”
Mexes had been particularly singled out for criticism after last season’s games against Barcelona, but impressed in keeping Leo Messi and Andres Iniesta quiet.
“I had no reason for ‘revenge’ in this match. Everyone makes mistakes and I hope not to make any more in future.”
The French defender is one of the few veterans left in a very young Milan squad.
“This team is rediscovering itself. Although the start of the season was decisively tricky, we gained confidence in ourselves. With the courage and passion of the young players, we can annoy many teams.”