Stefano Pioli notes the referee ‘didn’t have his best night,’ but ultimately blamed a lack of concentration for 10-man Milan’s 2-1 home defeat to Atletico Madrid.
The Rossoneri dominated the game up until Franck Kessie received his rather harsh second yellow card just 29 minutes in.
They held out with remarkable resilience until Antoine Griezmann’s volley, then deep into stoppages Luis Suarez converted a penalty for a Pierre Kalulu handling offence from point-blank range.
Champions League | Milan 1-2 Atletico Madrid: Rossoneri couldn’t give more
“I don’t think the referee had his best night… We were penalised. Clearly, down to 10 men we had to play a different type of match, we held out for over half-an-hour and came close to getting a positive result anyway. It’s disappointing, that’s for sure,” the coach told Sport Mediaset.
“It wasn’t just the penalty and red card, any 50-50 decision went their way. With a little more focus, especially on the equaliser, we still could’ve brought home the victory. We were lacking a little something, it’s a pity.”
Much like the 3-2 defeat at Liverpool, the Diavolo proved they absolute deserve the Champions League stage, but were desperately unlucky and could not have done more.
“We played very well with 11 against 11, with tempo, quality and intensity. That must make us realise we are a competitive squad.
“We must also realise the level is very high and we need concentration for the whole match. It has been a tough time lately, we’ll start thinking about Atalanta tomorrow, it took a lot out of us both physically and mentally.”
Liverpool crushed FC Porto 5-1, so Milan are now bottom of the group on zero points.
How can we say Milan deservedly play in the Champions when they are bottom with zero points? Our standards gave dropped significantly.
@Pazzo. it’s the team’s first appearance in many many years. they went and won a half vs a fantastic liverpool side and tonight with the team average age of 23, they were on a whole other level to Atleti until the sending off. Standards have indeed dropped but this is the reality. we are playing teams who spend more on one player than the entire spend by Milan in a season. 3-2 defeat away in england and losing in the final moments vs the champions of Spain is no shame. humility and hardwork raises standards. Not delusion just on the basis of a name.
Because the referee claearly has a comprehensuon issues when it comes to issuing cards for caution. The 2nd yellow was clearly his poor intelellectual level of understanding what warrants and does not warrant a caution.
If stepping on your oppenent’s foot regardless of intention and condition warrants a yellow, we would’ve seen most football matches finish with less than 18 players on the pitch when the final whistle blows.
With Pioli it is allways first halves of the matches and seasons are great then in second everything falls apart. Like last year with Milan or privious with Inter and so on.
Milan did well either you like it or not. Am proud of them.
Pazzo living up to his name I see
People just giving excuses for AC Milan just returning to the UCL. So what do they say about FC Sheriff of Moldova?
…If my Grandma was a man, she would have been my Grandpa.
hello mister referee how you doing over there today hope you doing fine and okay am mister Nicholas spablrta by name am here for you on Italia apps viewers and we are here with our special super sports competition exhibition match and have you heard about uefa super champions league exhibition match and italio carbuno premiership league italio calling carbuno league cup italio carbuno premier series- a league exhibition match live out now and virtual live lite life soccer bet and there is another option to be come a millionaire have you heard about the fifa and uefa and Europa bin grant and lotto lottery and sports games for more information about the forms you may call the agent number first +2340821325601 we deal with all kind of jersey materials and new advantage barge Newspaper