FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - AC Milan v Crvena Zvezda - San Siro, Milan, Italy - December 11, 2024 AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca during the match REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo/File Photo
(Reuters) - AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca acknowledged the challenges posed by missing players and recent form but expressed satisfaction with his team's hard-earned Serie A win at Hellas Verona on Friday.
A goal from Tijjani Reijnders in the second half secured a 1-0 win for Milan in a low-key clash.
Milan had secured just one win from their last five league matches with eight players sidelined due to injury, including forwards Alvaro Morata and Christian Pulisic.
"The first half was somewhat inevitable with so many players missing and not winning the most recent match, so we were sluggish," Fonseca told DAZN.
"Without so many players at the moment and our current form, I am satisfied with the victory, which was the most important thing. It was a much-deserved win, we kept a clean sheet and showed more stability in defence."
Milan enjoyed 65% of possession.
"It's true that we did not allow Verona much and dominated possession, but without being aggressive in the final third," Fonseca said.
"We made too many wrong decisions, that is also down to a lack of confidence, because we had the ball so often near the penalty area and should’ve done better."
Fonseca said the injury sustained by Rafael Leao in the first half was not too serious despite the Portugal international limping off.
"I spoke to Rafa (Leao), it doesn’t seem to be anything particularly special. It’s nothing major," Fonseca said.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
