Mihajlovic: “Milan are tough to beat

Sinisa Mihajlovic says ‘now this is my team with my physiognomy’ as Milan got an important point from a very difficult match against Napoli.

Napoli were the dominant side but Sinisa Mihajlovic’s game plan worked as the Rossoneri managed to escape Stadio San Paolo with a hard-fought point.
Lorenzo Insigne scored first as his shot hit Ignazio Abate and took a deflection to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma. But right before half-time, Giacomo Bonaventura got the equalizer. The Rossoneri – especially Cristian Zapata and Abate – looked great in defense last night and didn’t allow Napoli to score the second and Miha is pleased.

“We knew that we were going to be in for a difficult game, but we came here wanting to come away with a positive result,” Sinisa said. “From their previous 12 matches at home this season, Napoli have won 10 and drawn 2. They have proved themselves to be the strongest team in the league, alongside Juventus.

“We gave a great defensive performance. We didn’t perform as well in attack, but Napoli also deserve credit for that. I think a draw is the right result. We did well to close down the spaces, it is no easy task trying to stop Napoli’s attack, but we did very well. I’m not just referring to our four defenders, but also our midfield and attack. Only by giving everything, you can come away with a result at the San Paolo.

“From the first seven matches of the season, we collected just 9 points. From the same number of matches in the second half of the campaign, we have already collected 15. We have improved in terms of our performances and results. We are a different side and one that is hard to beat and that is playing well.

“Riccardo Montolivo? He made a few more mistakes than usual, but if you come away with a positive result from Naples, it means the whole team has played well. With the old formation, we struggled to defend and attack. Since changing the formation, we have lost just twice from 12 games.

“Balotelli still needs to improve on his match-fitness. He is training well and I hope that the other players who are still lacking in match fitness, such as Menez and Boateng, can get back in top-shape soon because they can be decisive for us. By giving them playing time they’ll get back in top-shape. They are important.”