Milan coach Stefano Pioli confirmed today, Tuesday, that the referee of the match, which ended with his team losing 1-2 to Atletico Madrid thanks to a penalty kick in the 96th minute, “was not the best thing in the match”, and he also expressed his pride in the performance of his players in the second round of the Champions League. UEFA Champions League Groups.
In statements to (Sky Sport) Italian channel after the match, Pioli said, “It’s a disappointment, we were close to a great result. I feel sorry. We made a great effort, we are sorry. This defeat complicates the way for us” in the Champions League.
He added: “We need to take another step that can make a difference. We missed very little and we have to live the matches clearly. We played great football for half an hour and then suffered after playing minus, only with ten players.“.
Milan lost 1-2 at San Siro despite advancing thanks to Portuguese Rafael Leao, but the matter was complicated for him after Ivorian Frank Kessie was expelled after half an hour for receiving a second yellow card during the meeting, so that Atletico Madrid could return in the last minutes with a goal from the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann (84th s) and another by Uruguayan Luis Suarez (96th s) from a penalty kick..
The Milan coach expressed his regret over the second yellow card raised by the referee in the face of Casey, considering it a very strict decision. “This performance should give us confidence,” Pioli said of his team’s performance despite the numerical shortfall“.
Liverpool leads the Champions League group B table with 6 points, followed by Atletico Madrid (4 points), Porto (one point) and Milan (zero).
