Fonseca responds to question regarding potential injuries for Pulisic and Leao | OneFootball

Paulo Fonseca rather understandably faced a grilling about AC Milan’s defensive record after last night’s game against Slovan Bratislava, while he answered questions on the conditions of Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao as well.

Last night brought a third consecutive victory for Milan in Europe and Fonseca’s side are now well placed to push on for a top eight finish, which would mean direct qualification to the last 16, yet it didn’t come in a straightforward way.

Of course the points matter above all else yet the Rossoneri conceded twice to a team that had previously scored two goals in four games. They also allowed an equaliser in a bizarre way moments after taking the lead, so the defensive concerns persist.

Fonseca was present in the press conference room at the National Stadium in Bratislava to give his thoughts on what was a rollercoaster of a night for his side, something everyone has gotten used to now. His comments come via MilanNews.

Is winning the only thing that matters?

“The most important thing was to win and we won well. But we didn’t do everything well. The way we conceded goals is not a normal situation, also making mistakes in the preventive marking. But I think we won well, with many chances to get into the final third of the pitch.

“We have to improve the decisions in the final third of the pitch. Then the referee made a mistake on the last goal. We won, we can do better, but we could have done it by scoring more.”

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Milan are now at 22 goals conceded for the season…

“We defended well against Juve. Today, changing many players, we made some mistakes also in preventive marking. But this match is not normal in Italy. We’ve improved a lot of things, for me.”

The runs behind the defence always seem to cause issues…

“The strategy today was to go further forward and press, so there was more risk. But what we suffered was not when we pressed, but when we lost the ball.

“We didn’t do a good job on the preventive marking. The issue of the goals conceded is not a tactical issue, but a question of reading the moment.”

Did you believe you could get into the top eight after losing the second game to Leverkusen?

“Yes, always, also because in Leverkusen we didn’t deserve to lose. What’s important now is to continue to believe, 3 wins in a row give us confidence. We’re in a good position.”

Milan had not scored at least three goals in three consecutive Champions League matches since 1989…

“I didn’t know that, I like it when the team scores a lot of goals, but we have to be more balanced.”

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

How are Pulisic and Leao?

“Pulisic wasn’t supposed to come off, but he told me it was better if he came off. When Leao scored, they told me Rafa wasn’t well, but he told me he felt something, but it was nothing major.”

How can you coach defensive attention?

“You can work and work individually, because the game is individual. You can work technically, but then the readings are a personal thing.”

And do you not go crazy?

“Of course. I was a central defender, but I’m an attacking coach. But first I think about being strong defensively, first we have to become.

“I have a big concern about how the team should defend. I work on it more now than in my entire career. Can you see the progress? Yes. Do we still have to work on it? Yes.”