Milan Boss Sergio Conceicao Praises Team's Grit After 1-1 Draw With Inter In Coppa Italia

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AC Milan's manager, Sergio Conceicao, expressed satisfaction with his team's resilience and defensive strength during their 1-1 draw against Inter. This Coppa Italia semi-final first leg ended evenly on Wednesday. Tammy Abraham scored for Milan early in the second half, but Hakan Calhanoglu equalised for Inter. This result mirrored their previous league encounter, marking two consecutive draws between these teams for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Conceicao acknowledged that Milan's form had dipped after a strong start under his leadership. However, he believes the team is gradually improving, as demonstrated at San Siro. "When I arrived, we had two games against Juventus and Inter for the Supercoppa, then we started a series of matches playing every three days," he told Sport Mediaset, as reported by Football Italia.

Over recent weeks, Conceicao has had more time to focus on training with his squad. He emphasised working on essential aspects to bring balance and confidence to the team. "I know that might seem like an excuse, but it's the truth to me, because you get intensity and aggression in training too," he explained.

The coach highlighted that practical training sessions have made a significant difference compared to just video lectures. "Now we are working on the pitch and not just in video lectures, which makes a difference," he added. Conceicao noted improvements in the team's solidity during recent matches against Napoli and Inter.

The upcoming second leg of this semi-final is scheduled for late April. Conceicao is optimistic about Milan's chances of reaching the final in Rome. "I think the result was fair; now we wait for the second leg and have this chance to go to the final in Rome, which we all really want," he stated.

Milan's recent performances suggest they are finding their footing again under Conceicao's guidance. The team aims to capitalise on this momentum as they prepare for crucial fixtures ahead.