AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli was pleased after their Champions League win against Napoli.
Milan took control of the quarterfinal with a 1-0 first-leg victory courtesy of Ismael Bennacer’s winner.
Pioli later said, “I am above all happy to enjoy evenings like this with our fans. The history of Milan speaks to many Champions League victories, but the recent years saw us dream of getting here, so we wanted to enjoy it.
“We didn’t build out well from the back at the start, giving Napoli the chance to hurt us, but we got the first home win over Napoli in three years. It is certainly only the first half of this tie and it is all still to play for.
“We have our strategy, but it changes depending on the way the opponents are set out and how the game develops. For example, Napoli were much more aggressive off the ball this time and mentality makes the difference too, so taking the lead or going behind can change everything. We knew Napoli could hurt us at any moment.
“I thought it was 50-50 before kick-off and that remains unchanged after this first leg. We were a little lucky early on, but never lost our balance, we always kept that concentration and sacrifice off the ball, allowing Napoli what is fair for a team of their quality. It’s true in the final 10 minutes we were unable to score a second goal and there are regrets, but the tie is wide open and that is what we wanted.”
