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100th win as a coach ensures Montella brings European football back to Milan

100th win as a coach ensures Montella brings European football back to Milan

Vincenzo Montella was optimistic and satisfied about his side’s achievements this season, as the Rossoneri claimed a 3-0 win over Roberto Donadoni’s Bologna on Sunday evening at the San Siro.The win ensured that Milan will finish sixth this season, helping them lay claim to a Europa League preliminary spot for the upcoming season. 
 
Montella once again played a 3-5-2 formation, that saw Carlos Bacca and Gianluca Lapadula play up front, with Riccardo Montolivo operating as a sole holding midfielder. Gerard Deulofeu and Leonel Vangioni played as wing-backs, as Mattia de Sciglio missed out due to a hamstring injury.
 
The first-half ended goalless, but Milan upped the pace in the second and opened the scoring with Deulofeu, who was assisted by Mati Fernandez in the build-up. Keisuke Honda, who had come on for Bacca in the second half, got Milan’s second and Lapadula tripled the lead for the men in red and black, ensuring an emphatic win and a sixth-placed finish for the campaign.

 
The win was Montella’s hundredth of his managerial career and the Italian was happy with how his team adapted having failed to make their chances count in the opening forty-five minutes. He said: "In the first half, we showed the right attitude but didn't manage to make our chances count. Bertolacci and Bacca were not to blame, but I had to change something. The boys did well to put into action what I asked them. This is my hundredth win in Serie A, it has a special taste, for AC Milan, for the new ownership and for myself. It was not easy today".
 
The return to European competition will see the rossoneri take part in at least the Europa League preliminary rounds next season and Montella was of the opinion that it was a satisfying season, but hailed the new beginning at San Siro. He told reporters: "I think it has been a positive season. We could have done better, but this is a new beginning: now we have to work to aim a bit higher. I am really happy for this group and I am really proud of being their coach: it was not easy to create a group that gives everything they have, every game.”
 
Montella was also appreciative of the fans who have stood by the club declaring that: "The fans have been great this year, they have always backed us despite the team not fighting for the objectives they have always been used to. They have always been there for us and that's why we are happy also for them".

 
The former Fiorentina boss, who has fielded the youngest team in the Serie A this season, lauded the influence that Honda had on the play after coming on in the second half. Montella said: "He came on in the decisive phase of the game, I was happy to see how the boys celebrated with him. I decided to bring him on because I knew he would play like this: he's a great professional and a quality player, I needed him and I am really happy he played with this attitude and he scored".
 
With the season now done and dusted with just a single game to be played, Milan travel to Cagliari next week in a game that is likely to see both sides rotate their respective squads.



Kaustubh Pandey