TMW: Pioli unable to celebrate ideal birthday as Porto defeat gives a stark reminder | OneFootball

Stefano Pioli turns 56 years old today, but the Milan head coach was not able to make three points against Porto his first present last night.

TMW writes that Pioli was hoping for a win to be able to enjoy his day today or at the very least a much better performance than the one his side showed last night at the Estadio do Dragao where Porto spoiled any party by winning 1-0.

The report adds that Milan are not yet at the level Pioli wants, as there is a gap between the Rossoneri’s current squad – both in ability and experience – and the established Champions League club Porto. This gap has built up in the years in which the Portuguese side have been regulars in the competition while Milan were in the Europa League at best.

The games against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were encouraging but then a step back came again Sergio Conceicao’s side, one that is hardly full of superstar name. Defeat is hard to take, but the building of mentality and the growth of the players is what comes out of it.

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