Milan earned a 1-1 draw in their first leg against Manchester United, grasping an away goal in the final minutes of the match off a corner kick with a headed goal by Kjaer. Afterwards, coach Stefano Pioli spoke to Sky to review the performance from his team: "I thought that they would be a strong opponent for us. We are working to bring back the wins, to grow, to bring Milan where it belongs. These are the matches you grow from, we want to arrive at the end, and to do that you must overcome all obstacles. There is still everything to play for in this round, we need another good performance in the next match. There is a lot of satisfaction for the result, however. There wasn't much stoppage time given but the lads were strong when they felt it running down."
On the Kessie goal: "We were celebrating for his great goal, we started off dominating and we felt belief. The goal would have given us mental strength, but the referee's decision went against us and so nothing."
On the celebrations: "There is a lot of satisfaction. I say over and over that I am not coaching a normal group, but an exceptional one. When I see he players give their spirit to reach a certain result and we succeed, I think it's correct to be happy. We would've happily taken a draw, now we are focused on the return leg. From the start of September we've played a match every four days, but we never soften. The players play, fight, and succeed, we should absolutely carry on. It's a determining moment for the Europa League and Serie A.
On Leao: "He doesn't need to be coddled, he needs to grow, and feel and attack the opponent's area. I like his desire to get involved in the match, it has improved compared to last season."
