Stefano Pioli expressed his disappointment following Milan’s 1-1 draw with Atalanta: “The penalty? Holm had his hands on his face, but he wasn’t hit there….”. A Rafael Leao goal put the Rossoneri ahead within five minutes of kick off, but a dubious penalty earned La Dea a vital point in the top four race. Speaking with DAZN, Pioli shared his thoughts on the game, saying his side deserved to win the match:
“Penalty? Holm had his hands on his face, but he wasn’t hit there, and secondly, it’s not the usual standard used by Daniele Orsato, who has a European refereeing style: it’s too little to have given a penalty. Credit to them because they did it: if he doesn’t throw himself like that, it’s never a penalty.”
Stefano Pioli then continued: “If there was a team that deserved to win, it was us. We played the best game of my Milan against Atalanta, we played with quality and personality. There were many positive things, just not the result. Adli, in that position, covered some spaces in the central area.”
About Leao: “He delivered the best performance of the season, especially for continuity and effectiveness: he also did an excellent job defensively. It all starts with him and his conviction: he should try to be this type of player always because he has the means to be.”
Regarding Reijnders: “Today, I thought Adli’s characteristics were more suitable than Tijjani’s.”
The coach concluded: “We have conceded too many penalties due to our naivety and some refereeing assessments. Now we have to think about the next game. The next few weeks will be very busy: we have had 4/5 players who have played the fifth game in fifteen days today. We have to focus on stabilizing the third position and try to reach Juventus.”
