Tata Martino: “The point is good but we deserved more”

Tata Martino will leave Milan knowning that his team could have claimed the three points. “It’s a good point but we deserved more. We only lacked intensity in the first 15 minutes and our punishment was too severe,” said the manager. Martino, despite being held to a draw in his team’s last two games (Osasuna and Milan), said that the team is growing: “Our play hasn’t gotten worse and I don’t think we’ve regressed.”

The manager also noted that Messi’s goal was possible because of the team’s “pressing and the direct style of play.” He added: “Against teams that close themselves off at the back it’s easier to score when you recover possession rather than doing short passes which gives your opponent time to reorganise.” He went on to say that “if we improve collectively, individual performances will also improve.” Finally he noted that Milan started off strong but that they “suffered when we had the ball.”

Now it’s time to focus on Madrid

Martino has closed the book on Milan and he’s opened the book on Real Madrid, Barça’s next rival in the league. The manager said that “I have no doubts on the team’s ability to perform. I would have liked to defeat Osasuna and Milan, but we’re doing well and we’re still growing.”