Milan need too many chances to score - Pioli

Stefano Pioli acknowledged Milan's main focus has to be improving their proficiency in the final third after they were held to a goalless draw by Sassuolo.

Milan remain rooted in mid-table in Serie A following a wasteful display at San Siro on Sunday. Theo Hernandez was unfortunate to have a first-half goal disallowed by the VAR, while substitute Rafael Leao hit the woodwork twice in quick succession late on. Veteran Sassuolo goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo also made a string of impressive saves, but Pioli says his team must take responsibility for the missed opportunities.

"We could have had more pace and movement in the first half, but in the second, we had about nine or 10 shots on goal," Pioli told Sky Sport Italia. "We tried everything, and it just wasn't going to happen. Sassuolo are a good team - we knew they would cause us problems. Rafael Leao did well off the bench, everyone played with effort, but with a little bit of sharpness and precision, we could have brought home the points.

"We made some technical errors today that can prove very costly indeed at this level. We can do better. I think we lacked determination and the ability to finish our chances. Our players worked hard today - the fact we had 10 clear scoring opportunities means we put in a good performance 0 but our biggest limitation right now is that we have to create so many chances in order to get a goal. We need to score earlier."

 

December 15, 2019

Krzysztof Piatek scored in the 3-2 win over Bologna last time out but failed to have an impact on Sunday, and the striker was taken off late on having cut a frustrated figure throughout. But Pioli believes the 24-year-old - who has four league goals this season - has not been helped by media pressure.

"Last week, the media said Piatek was our saviour; now, people are going to criticise again," Pioli said. "They need to be more balanced overall in their evaluation. It’s not just him - everyone needs to do better."