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AC Milan v Sassuolo: Crunch time for under-fire Mihajlovic
23 October 2015 18:14
Under-fire coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is reportedly nearing the AC Milan exit door as his side prepare to host Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday.
Reports in Italy suggest the 46-year-old has two matches to save his job after making a disappointing start to the season.
Club president Silvio Berlusconi has certainly done nothing to quell the speculation, commenting, "Mihajlovic's future? Who knows...?", in the wake of the recent 1-0 friendly defeat at the hands of Inter.
Former Milan coach Roberto Donadoni has been linked with a return to San Siro and did not distance himself from the role when asked whether he'd consider re-joining the club he also made more than 250 appearances for as a player.
"If there is a chance, I would evaluate it," he told Gazzetta World. "It's clear I have a special relationship with Milan.
"In the recent past there were talks, but the club decided to proceed in a different direction."
Milan have won only two of their last six Serie A games, crashing 4-0 to Napoli in their most recent home outing, and find themselves languishing in 13th place, seven points below city rivals Inter and eight adrift of leaders Fiorentina.
And they will not find it easy to jump-start their faltering campaign at the expense of Sassuolo, who are currently riding high in fifth place having suffered only one defeat all season.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side have won plenty of plaudits for their free-flowing, attacking style and will be confident of troubling a Milan defence that is yet to keep a clean sheet in Serie A this term.
They will also be buoyed by the fact that they have won three of their four previous league meetings with the men in red and black, with one of those victories coming at San Siro in January.
Sassuolo warmed up for Sunday's clash with a 2-1 league victory over Lazio, Simone Missiroli and Domenico Berardi both scoring their first goals of the season at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore.
Milan are again set to be without Andrea Bertolacci, Mario Balotelli, Jeremy Menez and M’Baye Niang and Mihajlovic is sweating on the fitness of leading scorer Carlos Bacca.
There could be also be a change in goal, where Diego Lopez's place is said to be under threat from 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma - the Spaniard widely criticised over the goal that Torino scored in last weekend's 1-1 draw.
Juventus v Atalanta: Allegri demands more from goal-shy Juve
23 October 2015 19:14
Juventus will be out to end their recent goal-drought and re-ignite their faltering Serie A title defence when they entertain Atalanta on Sunday.
The Turin giants come into the game having recorded consecutive goalless draws, in the league against Inter and in the Champions League against Borussia Monchengladbach - missing numerous chances in both games.
In the wake of the Gladbach stalemate, coach Massimiliano Allegri called upon his charges to up their game in the final third and end the club's ongoing woes in front of goal.
Paulo Dybala has been the most prolific of Juve's attacking options in the league this season, scoring three goals, while Alvaro Morata and Simone Zaza have one each and Mario Mandzukic is yet to open his account in Serie A.
And Juve's general manager Giuseppe Marotta believes Dybala - who arrived from Palermo in the close-season - cannot be expected to shoulder the goalscoring burden by himself.
"Dybala is a talent, but he can't give immediate answers," he said.
"He will be a lot better in the years to come, because switching from a provincial team like Palermo to one like Juventus means big tests in terms of criticism, training etc.
"As for our expectations, he's doing well, the results shouldn't just be down to him.
"From my experience, he's the kind of player who will go right to the top."
The hosts come into Sunday's game 14th in the table with just two wins from their first eight games but can at least draw some comfort from the fact that they have not been beaten by the Bergamo side in the league since 2001, and have won the last 10 meetings.
Edoardo Reja's men, however, have made a strong start to the season and currently sit eighth in the Serie A table, five points above the defending champions.
They chalked up their fourth win of the campaign with a 3-0 victory over struggling Carpi last time out, a game which saw Chilean forward Mauricio Pinilla score his third goal of the season.
Atalanta have now lost only one of their last seven games - to league leaders Fiorentina - and will be quietly confident that they can follow in the footsteps of Udinese, Chievo and Frosinone and spring a surprise in Turin.
Juve are again set to be without Martin Caceres, who is battling an ankle injury sustained while away on international duty with Uruguay and fellow-defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who underwent minor heart surgery earlier this month.
Gianluigi Buffon went into the Gladbach game nursing a calf strain, but the veteran goalkeeper completed the 90 minutes and is expected to start on Sunday.
For Atalanta, both Marcelo Estigarribia and Emanuele Suagher are regarded as major doubts.
Serie A review: Roma go top as Juventus, Milan win
25 October 2015 23:36
Roma have recorded a 2-1 win over Fiorentina to go top of the Serie A table, while Juventus and Milan also earned much-needed wins.
Rudi Garcia's men made a strong start to the game at the Stadio Artemio Franchi as Mohamed Salah opened the scoring after just six minutes against his former team.
Gervinho doubled Roma's lead in the 34th minute, receiving the ball from Alessandro Florenzi before coolly slotting home.
Salah was controversially sent off in the 87th minute after receiving two yellow cards within the space of 10 seconds, before Khouma Babacar netted to make it 2-1 well into stoppage time.
Gonzalo Higuain fired Napoli to a 1-0 win over Chievo to send his team second, two points behind Roma.
Fiorentina meanwhile dropped to third, level on 18 points with Napoli, Inter and Lazio, who proved to be too strong for Torino, as goals from Senad Lulic and Felipe Anderson's brace saw them cruise to a 3-0 win.
Elsewhere, Juventus returned to winning ways after draws against Inter and Borussia Monchengladbach in their previous two matches, beating Atalanta 2-0.
Paulo Dybala broke the deadlock two minutes before the half-hour mark, slotting home after being set up by Paul Pogba.
The Argentine attacker turned provider after the break as he teed up Mario Mandzukic to make it 2-0.
Rafael Toloi was dismissed in the closing stages of the game, while Pogba missed a spot kick in Turin.
Milan bagged the full three points following a hard-fought win over Sassuolo.
The hosts received a major boost when referee Gianluca Rocchi sent off Andrea Consigli and awarded them a penalty, which was duly converted by Carlos Bacca.
Nevertheless, Domenico Berardi levelled the scoring after the break when he beat 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a fine free-kick.
Luiz Adriano netted a vital goal with just five minutes remaining on the clock to help Sinisa Mihajlovic's men to victory.
Sampdoria also earned three points following a 4-1 win over Verona, with Luis Muriel, Ervin Zukanovic, Roberto Soriano and Eder all finding the net before Artur Ionita pegged one back.
Finally, a single Francesco Lodi strike was enough for Udinese to see off Frosinone at home.
Allegri: Juventus must be near Serie A summit by March
24 October 2015 16:18
Massimiliano Allegri is confident that Juventus will be near the top of the Serie A table by March.
The Turin side have endured a tough start to the 2015-16 season, despite winning the domestic double and reaching the Champions League final in Allegri's first campaign at the helm.
Juve president Andrea Agnelli has insisted that the losses of Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo are not an acceptable excuse for the club's current Serie A position of 14th.
The coach agreed with the comments but expects his team to turn things around gradually and be back towards the summit by March.
"As I've already said, we ought to have more points right now, regardless of the changes to the squad," Allegri said on Saturday.
"I agree with the president. Juventus should not be in this position.
"We need to secure a second consecutive home win in Serie A to follow up our last result.
"We have already found good defensive solidity in the latest matches, now we have to improve in attack.
"At Christmas we need to be better placed in the league, we cannot think of fighting back that quickly. Then, around March, we must be in and around the front-runners."
Allegri defended striker Mario Mandzukic from criticism over his impact since arriving from Atletico Madrid, stating he has already proved he can score in big games.
"So far he has not played much in the league, but he has had a good scoring record in important games against Manchester City and Lazio in the Supercoppa," Allegri added.
"He has been injured but has done work with the team."
Nigel de Jong is unhappy with his lack of regular first-team action at AC Milan.
The Netherlands midfielder was a key figure or Milan in 2014-15 and also started his side's opening two fixtures this campaign, even wearing the captain's armband against Fiorentina and Empoli.
However, De Jong has not featured for the San Siro side since the defeat at the hands of Genoa back in September, much to his own dismay.
"Obviously I am not happy because I am not playing," the former Manchester City man said.
"But I have to wait and grab my opportunity when it comes."
Milan recorded a 2-1 win over Sassulo at the weekend without De Jong and the 30-year-old hopes they can build on that win when they take on Chievo on Wednesday.
"The spirit in the locker room is positive, we won the last match and we have to continue with the same spirit," he added.
"I like the 4-4-2 formation, but it does depend on the game and on which players are available."
AC Milan head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic refuses to put a time frame on the return to action of Mario Balotelli.
The Liverpool loanee showed some encouraging glimpses of form last month and scored in the 3-2 victory over Udinese, but a persistent groin problem has kept him sidelined since the 1-0 defeat to Genoa on September 27.
Mihajlovic says Balotelli is continuing to work on strengthening the muscle but admits he cannot say when he will be available.
"The groin pain comes and goes. The doctors are trying everything to solve the problem," he said.
"He is working to strengthen the painful part, he's trying everything but he can't run. I don't know when he can come back."
Milan got back to winning ways on Sunday against Sassuolo and Mihajlovic is unwilling to abandon hope of a Champions League spot as long as his side continue to show the same desire.
"Of course I believe," he said. "If Juve believe in a Scudetto comeback, we can make a comeback to the Champions League.
"The team is more compact now. Before, we didn't attack and defend, but now it's better. But the goal is to concede fewer chances than before.
"We must try to win. I want to see the spirit of the last few minutes against Sassuolo. They responded well straight after the goal and tried to play, and were rewarded in the end."
Gianluigi Donnarumma became the youngest goalkeeper to start a Serie A match on Sunday, at the age of 16 years and eight months, and Mihajlovic hinted that he could keep his place against Chievo on Wednesday.
"I didn't take off Lopez because he conceded a goal against Torino, but because, at the moment, Donnarumma looks better to me," he added. "We have two great goalkeepers with great personality, who are very reliable."
AC Milan forward Jeremy Menez has been ruled out of action until the new year after suffering a setback in his recovery from injury.
The 28-year-old has made just one appearance so far this season after being forced to undergo an operation to correct a back problem.
However, head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has now revealed Menez could be sidelined until February 2016 as a result of an infection following the surgery.
"Menez has an infection in the area he was operated on, he is taking antibiotics," said Mihajlovic. "He will be out until January or February."
Mihajlovic hinted at a potential deal for Kevin-Prince Boateng once the transfer window opens, however, after the Ghanaian impressed during his time training with the club.
"He's training well, in January he will decide what to do," he said. "He's a player with quality and personality.
"He had some problems with his knee but he's been doing well up until now. He could play in the attacking midfield role. He can play out wide, in midfield - he can do different roles, and do them well."
Roma coach Rudi Garcia is remaining calm and collected amid talk of his side being the favourites to win the Serie A title this season.
The Giallorossi leapfrogged Fiorentina when they beat Paulo Sousa's men 2-1 away from home last weekend to go top of league.
Garcia will be hoping talk of title favouritism will not affect his players' frame of mind ahead of another big match at home to Udinese on Wednesday.
"We're not moved by being made favourites; I like the attitude of the lads. They're top because they deserve it," Garcia told a news conference on Tuesday.
"At this point the table doesn't matter, you have to take it one game at a time and the right attitude is to always think that the next one is the most important."
The former Lille coach was keen to stress how much of an effort his side have made to earn top spot on the table, with every player working hard to earn their places in the XI.
"The star is the team, I think, also because we have great players. But the star must remain the team. If everyone plays for the team, the team then helps the individuals to shine."
The 51-year-old Frenchman also told reporters that his side will not set out merely to retain top spot, but actively seek a bigger lead.
"We will not defend the first place, we want to attack the three points ... we want to make sure win as many games as possible because winning makes us feel good in the standings."
Serie A Review: Roma and Napoli make it five straight wins
28 October 2015
Roma continued their assault on the Serie A title with a resounding 3-1 victory over Udinese – their fifth consecutive success in the league.
The contest was all but settled in the opening 10 minutes at Stadio Olimpico, as Maicon played in Miralem Pjanic for the first goal and then scored one himself soon afterwards.
Gervinho made certain of the victory just after the hour mark when he scored his sixth goal in seven games and Roma’s 25th in 10 games – their best scoring record in more than 50 years – while Cyril Thereau scored late on for Udinese.
Napoli matched Roma's feat of five consecutive Serie A wins as they beat Palermo 2-0 to go second in the table.
Gonzalo Higuain scored a superb drive from outside the box to give the home side the lead just before half time, and Dries Mertens made sure of the win with a goal 10 minutes from time.
AC Milan kept their first clean sheet of the season as Luca Antonelli's second-half strike earned Sinisa Mihajlovic's men a second consecutive Serie A victory, 1-0 over Chievo.
Juventus, meanwhile, were denied back-to-back victories for the first time this season as Giorgio Chiellini was sent off in a 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo.
Nicola Sansone's brilliant first-half free-kick gave the home side their first win over Juve and Massimiliano Allegri could only watch as his struggling Scudetto champions slipped to their fourth defeat of the season against one of his old clubs.
Atalanta came from behind to beat Lazio 2-1 courtesy of a late winner from Alejandro Gomez.
Lucas Biglia had given Lazio the lead, but Dusan Basta's own goal gifted Atalanta a way back into the game, before Gomez sealed all three points in the 86th minute.
Late drama at Torino saw the home side denied their first win in four games by an injury-time equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Genoa.
Diego Laxalt, who had opened the scoring for Genoa after 26 minutes, scored again in the 94th to spare the blushes of team-mate Panagiotis Tachtsidis, who looked like he had handed Torino a win when he put through his own net five minutes earlier.
Elsewhere, Fiorentina cruised to a 2-0 win at Verona, and an injury-time winner from Paolo Sammarco earned Frosinone a 2-1 win over Carpi.
Inter v Roma: Garcia calls for attacking approach at San Siro
29 October 2015
Roma coach Rudi Garcia has urged his Serie A leaders to take the game to Inter at San Siro on Saturday as they seek to extend their advantage at the summit.
Garcia's men made it five league wins in a row with a 3-1 victory over Udinese on Wednesday - Miralem Pjanic and Maicon laying the foundations with goals inside 10 minutes before Gervinho added a third after the hour.
Roma are the league's leading scorers with 25 and have lost just once in Serie A this term, although Inter sit just two points behind in fourth.
Roberto Mancini's men got back to winning ways at Bologna in midweek and Garcia challenged his side to be ruthless at San Siro, with Napoli and Fiorentina - second and third respectively - in action on Sunday.
Asked about his side's attacking philosophy, the Frenchman said: "I think it's the right thing to do. Psychologically it's not easy to lift yourself after conceding a goal and that goes for us too.
"Generally our attitude is negative after we let one in. In Florence [a 2-1 win over Fiorentina] we'd planned to play on the counter after the first goal whereas [against Udinese] we decided to carry on attacking after the opener.
"That's important because it shows the team is capable of doing positive things in different ways according to the game.
"I like the fact that my players are capable of reading the game and the situation. Then I like the unity we show. When we score all the guys celebrate together, as a team."
While Roma have found goals easy to come by this term, Mancini's side have averaged just one a game in the opening 10 Serie A matches - prompting Tuesday's match-winner Mauro Icardi to call for better service if Inter are to maintain their lofty position.
Inter have conceded just twice in their last four outings and defender Juan Jesus urged his team-mates to ditch their recent slow starts.
"Roma are a great team, with fast players like Gervinho and Mohamed Salah," he added.
"We can't afford to make any mistakes and we have to be focused from the very first minute.
"The team proved it can stick in there [on Tuesday]. We played well and we need to pick up from our performance in the second half.
"We have to improve our approach to the start of games. We spoke about that in the changing rooms because we can't always wait for the something to happen before injecting some energy into the game."
Juventus v Torino: Buffon calls on champions to do the shirt justice
29 October 2015
Gianluigi Buffon has called on Juventus to do the shirt justice as they aim to turn around their disappointing form in Saturday's derby with city rivals Torino.
The defending champions are 12th in Serie A - 11 points behind leaders Roma - after slipping to their fourth league defeat of the season with a 1-0 loss at Sassuolo on Wednesday.
Nicola Sansone's 20th-minute effort put Sassuolo ahead and Juve, who had defender Giorgio Chiellini sent off in the 39th minute, were unable to find a way back.
Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat, Juve captain Buffon told Mediaset Premium: "We all played badly. The first half was simply unacceptable.
"I am stunned, as I am the captain and it hurts my soul to see my team dominated like that, to see my team not realise how important this game is and what attitude to take.
"There was also too much arguing with the referee. Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level. We wear the Juventus shirt and must do it justice."
Juve's poor league form sees them three points behind ninth-placed Torino in the table but Massimiliano Allegri's men can go in with some confidence given their home record in this fixture.
The Scudetto holders have not lost at home in the derby since Torino completed a double over Juve with a 2-1 away win in April 1995.
Torino did beat Juve 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino last season but are without a win in four games having twice squandered a lead in Wednesday's 3-3 draw with Genoa.
Giampiero Ventura's men were ahead 2-1 and 3-2 in that match, but Diego Laxalt's 94th-minute leveller earned Genoa a point.
And Ventura said after the draw with Genoa: "We must rethink some things. It is a step closer to our goal even if the draw is certainly not positive.
"It is clear that something did not work. Now we will see what we did wrong, we will analyse this match and try to correct. Definitely we could do better.
"We'll go there [Juventus] with some players tired but I am sure that we will prepare for the game and contest it as a derby requires."
Evra: Ferguson was ´99 per cent´ sure of re-signing Ronaldo
1 November 2015
Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra says Alex Ferguson was "99 per cent" sure of re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo and staying on as manager just weeks before announcing his retirement.
Ferguson, having led United to the 13th Premier League title of his reign in 2012-13, assured the French defender he would remain in charge at Old Trafford.
And the Scot was apparently confident of bringing Portuguese superstar Ronaldo back to the club from Real Madrid, having sold the prized asset to the Liga giants for £80 million in 2009.
None of that came to pass, though, with Ferguson announcing his retirement on May 8 2013.
Evra stayed for David Moyes' lone, ill-fated campaign in charge the following season, before joining Juventus in July 2014, and the left-back, speaking to the Sunday Times, has revealed how different United's recent history might have been had Ferguson opted to continue.
"I remember we talked maybe two weeks before and he said, 'Patrice, I will be here another five years'," he said.
"I said, 'Yes boss. Let's do it.' I was so convinced. He was looking younger and younger, amazing. He even told me '99 per cent, Cristiano Ronaldo will come'. I was like, 'wow, we are ready to bounce back and to even win the Champions League again.
"After that everyone knows what happened. You know when you are lost and you feel like the world is crumbling? It was a big trauma, I felt lost."
Evra reached the Champions League final with Juve last season, while United, having failed to qualify for the tournament under Moyes, returned to Europe's elite club competition after finishing fourth in Louis van Gaal's first campaign in charge last term.
On-loan Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is unsure whether a return to Arsenal will materialise but stated it would be a "dream" to play for the club again.
Szczesny made the season-long move to the Stadio Olimpico during the close-season, having lost his place to David Ospina prior to the arrival of Petr Cech from Chelsea.
The Poland international has helped Roma to second in Serie A but acknowledged his future beyond the end of the season is uncertain.
"If a year ago someone had told me that I would go to Rome I would have thought it was impossible," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"I have been with Arsenal all my life and, I do not hide it, that is still my dream.
"For me it is like a family, I owe so much to those people that if I were to be given a chance I would play for them. The fans here [at Roma] have always been great, I do not know what will happen.
"Nine months is a long time in football, things can change from week to week."
Szczesny's relationship with Arsene Wenger has come under scrutiny in recent seasons - the Pole having apologised after being caught smoking in the changing rooms following defeat to Southampton in the Premier League on New Year's Day.
"I never hated Wenger, I owe him a lot. I never hated him, I have always taken responsibility for my mistakes and not created any problems," he added.
"The history of the cigarette in the locker room is real, but it is false that I argued with Wenger.
"Everyone knows that I have made mistakes but I have always accepted the consequences. Wenger was always clear to me and I believe that anyone who is honest is to be treated with honesty.
"We never had any problems but I understand that newspapers are looking for stories. I was not surprised by the arrival of Cech as he is a great goalkeeper who has won everything. I think any coach would have taken at such a low price."
Stephan Lichtsteiner has returned to training with Juventus following surgery to correct a heart problem.
The Switzerland international complained of breathing difficulties in September's draw with Frosinone and underwent a corrective operation at the beginning of October.
The 31-year-old was expected to be out of action for a month and Juventus confirmed he trained with the first team early on Sunday as part of his continuing recovery.
"There is no better way to properly celebrate Juventus day and the Old Lady's 118th birthday: not only the derby victory [against Torino] with Juan Cuadrado scoring in the last minute, but also the return of Stephan Lichtsteiner to the group," read a statement on the club's official website.
"After carrying out the necessary tests, the Swiss trained with his team-mates this morning, who have started to prepare for the Champions League game with Borussia Monchengladbach."
Juve also confirmed that Sami Khedira, who picked up a muscle injury against Torino, will face further medical tests on Monday.
Serie A Review: Fiorentina return to the summit, AC Milan down Lazio
1 November 2015
Fiorentina returned to the top of Serie A with a 4-1 victory over Frosinone at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, while AC Milan beat Lazio in a pulsating clash in Rome.
Paulo Sousa's Fiorentia were deposed at the summit by Roma last weekend, but after Rudi Garcia's side lost to Inter on Saturday, Fiorentina took full advantage by returning to the summit on goal difference with a resounding win.
Following a series of efforts during the opening 20 minutes, Fiorentina took the lead in the 24th minute when Ante Rebic's curling cross looped over Frosinone goalkeeper Massimo Zappino and in off the post.
Sousa's team then scored two goals in three minutes, with Gonzalo Rodriguez firing home from Matias Fernandez's delivery before Khouma Babacar converted a penalty following Modibo Diakite's foul on the Chilean.
Mario Suarez pounced on a stray pass to score his first goal for the club in the closing stages of the first half and, although they dominated the second period too, Fiorentina were unable to add to their tally - a late consolation from Alessandro Frara doing little to spoil the party in Florence.
Napoli were unable to join Sousa's side and Inter on 24 points, though, as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Genoa.
A series of saves from Mattia Perin frustrated Maurizio Sarri's side, while Marek Hamsik passed up a glorious chance to secure the win in the closing stages, leaving them outside the Champions League places in fourth.
Sinisa Mihajlovic enjoyed a happy return to Stadio Olimpico with his Milan side as they saw off Lazio 3-1.
Mihajlovic spent six years with Lazio as a player and won the Serie A title during his time at the club, but he was celebrating against his former employers as Roma old boys Andrea Bertolacci and Philippe Mexes put Milan 2-0 in front.
Carlos Bacca added a third before Ricardo Kishna bagged a late consolation for Lazio. Milan had fears for centre-back Alex after he was knocked out cold in the second half, but reports stated the defender later regained consciousness.
Hellas Verona remain without a top-flight win this season following a 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers Carpi – who are now bottom of the table following Bologna's 3-0 triumph over Atalanta.
Emmanuele Giaccherini, Mattia Destro and Franco Brienza were all on target as Roberto Donadoni's side ended a run of three straight home defeats.
Sassuolo's meeting with Udinese ended goalless despite Antonio Floro Flores hitting the post in the first half.
Milan defender Alex is to stay in hospital overnight for observation, but head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic says the Brazilian is fine after being knocked out cold against Lazio.
Former Chelsea star Alex was taken from the field on a stretcher during Sunday's 3-1 Serie A win at Stadio Olimpico after he was knocked unconscious in a collision with the knee of 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
However, Mihajlovic provided a positive update on the defender and says he will stay in hospital as a precautionary measure.
"He got a knock to the head and was diagnosed with head trauma," Mihajlovic told Mediaset. "He went for the tests and they were all clear. He has to remain in hospital overnight for observation.
"But he is fine and that is positive. He lost consciousness, but then he recovered."
Milan were good value for the win at Stadio Olimpico, with ex-Roma men Andrea Bertolacci and Philippe Mexes, and Carlos Bacca all on target.
Mihajlovic was disappointed to concede late on through Ricardo Kishna's consolation, but commended his team for their showing in the capital which left them sixth after three straight wins.
"It's a shame we conceded late on, but the team played very well," he added.
"We were solid and always closed down our opponents quickly. We knew it would be a difficult game, but the team spirit was on show. We were deserved winners.
"I don't know about calling this a turning point, we still have to take it one game at a time. This is our third straight win and we've climbed the table.
"We play with less fear now and since we changed system to 4-3-3 we are under less pressure at the back."
AC Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez insists that his absence from the first team is due to patellar tendonitis and he has not been dropped from the starting XI.
Lopez has made way for 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma in the past three Serie A matches, and the rookie keeper has impressed in wins over Sassuolo, Chievo and Lazio.
Milan subsequently released a statement on Monday stating that Lopez is set for a spell on the sidelines in order to follow a treatment plan for tendonitis.
And the former Real Madrid man - who turned 34 on Tuesday - insisted it has been an issue that has been troubling him for some time.
"For four months I've been living with patellar tendonitis. I've tried to recover and have been working hard with the club's medical staff," he wrote on Facebook.
"During this period, I've done everything possible to be at my best, sacrificing every day, despite the pain, to be available to the coach [Sinisa Mihajlovic].
"Unfortunately the pain has persisted so I have had to stop and pursue a specific recovery plan. This is the only option to resolve the problem.
"I would like to clarify that this decision was made by mutual agreement with the club, and of course has nothing to do with the recent sporting situation, it's a decision of a strictly medical nature.
"I'll continue giving my all to come back soon and as strong as ever."
Lopez's injury marked a double blow for Milan after midfielder Andrea Bertolacci suffered a tear of the thigh muscle tear.
The Italy international is set for further tests on the injury in the next 10 days.
Outspoken agent Mino Raiola says there is no chance of his sought-after client Paul Pogba leaving Juventus to join La Liga giants Barcelona.
Pogba is one of the most coveted midfielders in European football and was heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou during the close-season.
The France international is also a reported target for the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, but has thus far rejected any overtures in favour of staying with Serie A champions Juve.
Raiola stated as recently as last month that Pogba could still join Barca - who a won a treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League last season - but the agent has now seemingly ruled out that possibility.
"[Joining] Barcelona? If I'm honest no because we'd already spoken with them and there was no chance of them buying him," he told Italian radio programme 'La politica nel pallone'.
"We've said that when we feel the time is right, with the right project, the right team and all parties in agreement, we'll be able to leave."
Raiola re-stated a claim that Juve received three offers that could have amounted to €100million with add-ons during the close-season, but claimed it is no formality that Pogba will leave Turin.
"In the end there were three big clubs with 85 million euros on the table, or a little more including add-ons, which took the total to 100 million, but a deal was not concluded because Pogba didn't want to leave and Juventus wanted him to stay for at least another year," he added.
"Why not [stay at Juventus]? We turned down several teams last year, we're looking for the right moment.
"This means that Pogba has not yet decided to definitely leave at the end of the season."
Italian Football Federation president Carlo Tavecchio has denied he is homophobic or anti-semitic after recordings emerged of him apparently making discriminatory comments.
Extracts from a conversation were reported in the Italian press over the weekend in which Tavecchio is claimed to have made disparaging remarks.
"I don't have anything against Jews, but it's best to keep them under control," he is claimed to say in the recording, before adding: "Is it true that a former president of the FIGC was gay? I have nothing against homosexuals but keep them away from me, I am perfectly normal."
Tavecchio insisted the recordings were made without his knowledge by Massimiliano Giacomini of website Soccerlife and has alleged a campaign of "retaliation" against him.
"I should point out that it was not an interview but a meeting requested by Giacomini, who I've known for years and met several times, and that the recording was made without my knowledge, a deplorable phenomenon which has unfortunately become widespread," he said in a statement released by the FIGC.
"If you examine the events without bias, it is an obvious retaliation against me by the person to whom I denied the contributions for his editorial work, and who after my refusal has gone against the FIGC and a number of my people in a disparaging manner, of which I have already informed my lawyers.
"Having heard the audio, it's clear that Giacomini is quoting [Rete] ECO [Jews against the occupation of Palestine] and my words are clear, I reaffirmed my long personal and professional relationship of esteem.
"I'm glad that has been acknowledged by, among others, the Israeli ambassador in Italy, who I thank.
"With regard to the allegations of homophobia, that is not me. Here too, the audio is very clear, I say 'I have nothing against homosexuals', and I've never discriminated against anyone for those reasons.
"I respect everyone's choices, and I don't think anyone treated like a criminal for that."
Giovanni Malago, head of the Italian Olympic Committee, stated on Monday that Tavecchio's comments were "unacceptable" and "should be condemned".
The 72-year-old, who replaced Giancarlo Abete at the head of Italian football last year, was issued with a six-month ban from football after comments he made last November, when he described young foreign footballers in Italian academies as "banana-eaters".
Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij has been ruled up for up to six months after undergoing surgery on his left knee.
The 23-year-old sustained the injury in Netherlands' 1-0 Euro 2016 qualification defeat against Iceland on September 3. He then featured for 45 minutes in the 3-0 loss to Turkey three days later, before being forced off yet again.
Lazio were initially hopeful De Vrij would not need surgery, but the Dutchman has now gone under the knife in Antwerp.
"Lazio would like to communicate that Stefan de Vrij has undergone surgery on his left knee at the AZ Monica hospital in Antwerp on Wednesday morning," a statement on the club's official website reads.
"The operation, which was performed by Doctor Lagae, was a success and the defender's recovery process is expected to last an estimated six months."
