Milan ´deserved a victory´ in derby stalemate, claims Pioli

Milan boss Stefano Pioli believes his side deserved to beat rivals Inter in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash, but also claimed the goalless draw represented a “good result”.

The Milanese giants, who are split by just two points in a fierce Serie A title race, could not be separated at San Siro, with the lively Rafael Leao and Rade Krunic going closest for the more adventurous Rossoneri. 

Milan managed 13 attempts to Inter’s seven in a cagey encounter, also creating 0.70 expected goals to the below-par Nerazzurri’s 0.30, but were unable to break the deadlock. 

Although Pioli felt his team merited more from the encounter, he also professed himself pleased with the result, with Italy’s preservation of the away goals rule perhaps making the Rossoneri slight favourites ahead of April’s second leg.

“Milan played well and deserved something more,” Pioli told Mediaset. “But if we look at it over the two legs, it is a good result. I still think we deserved a victory.

“It’s only a partial result, we know the second [leg] will be very difficult, but I am satisfied with the performance. 

“We’ve made progress over the last two and a half years, we would like to win something and make this a wonderful season.

“The team was aggressive against an Inter side with a great deal of quality. We didn’t allow Inter any real shots on goal and had chances of our own.

“It’s disappointing we were unable to win the match and it all goes down to the second leg, [but] I really liked the performance and we should gain even more confidence from it, because we are a team who belong at this level.”

4 – AC Milan and Inter have drawn each of their last four meetings in the semi-final stage of a competition (1-1 in the Coppa Italia in 1985, 0-0 and 1-1 in the Champions League in 2003, 0-0 tonight). Balance.#MilanInter

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 1, 2022

Coupled with the win and draw that Pioli’s men managed in their Serie A clashes with Inter this term, the result means Milan have remained undefeated for at least three games against the Nerazzurri in the same season for the first time since 2004-05, when they achieved three wins and a draw in Serie A and Champions League derby contests.

The Rossoneri’s Scudetto aspirations will be put to the test at league leaders Napoli in the next outing, and although Pioli wanted attacking improvements, he appeared confident about Milan’s chances ahead of the trip to Naples.

“I feel we did lack something this evening in the finish and in the final ball,” he said. 

“We had chances, we cannot think of having six or seven against a side like Inter, but we did cause them problems and need to be more precise against Napoli.

“That is another very tough test, but the tougher the obstacle, the more satisfying it is to overcome.”

Despite remaining in contention in two competitions, Milan have now drawn three matches in a row in all competitions for the first time since a run of four stalemates in April 2018, drawing 2-2 with Salernitana, 1-1 with Udinese, and 0-0 with Inter.