Roma ended Stefan Pioli’s team’s chances of regaining the Scudetto by salvaging a 2-2 draw at the very end thanks to goals from Roger Ibanez and Tammy Abraham.
Stefano Pioli insisted that Roma’s dramatic 2-2 tie in their Serie A match at San Siro was not the result of his changes, although he did admit that Milan “messed up.”
Milan were poised to close the gap after seeing Napoli beat Sampdoria earlier on Sunday, as goals from Pierre Kalulu and Tommaso Pobega gave them the upper hand against Roma.
In the 87th minute, Roger Ibanez cut the deficit in half with Roma’s first attempt on goal, but Tammy Abraham capitalised on a rebound from a stoppage-time free kick to save a point.
“We must continue to play like this but remember that matches finish in the 95th minute and that more attention is needed,” he told DAZN.
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“We conceded two goals from set-pieces which we can’t concede. We are disappointed, we played well and we deserved to win. Unfortunately, we messed up our own lives.”
When questioned in the post-game news conference if adding Matteo Gabbia as a third central defender had contributed to Roma’s late pressure, Stefan Pioli responded that neither the change nor his players’ lack of effort were to blame.
“Oddly enough we conceded two goals from set-pieces when we had more central defenders on the pitch. I reviewed the goal and there were some errors in marking,” he said.
“When I make substitutions, I always think they are the best things for the team. We gave away a corner and made mistakes on set-pieces.
“I don’t think the tactical aspect has anything to do with it. I don’t think we lost points for the three-man defence. Maybe I’ll bring it in again.
“It will teach us to stay more focused in the next matches. It wasn’t a problem of attitude. If we talk about willpower and spirit, we are second to none.”
