AC Milan have continued where they left off from last season after they managed a convincing 2-1 win over Valencia in the pre-season friendly match. The match took place at the famous Mestalla stadium and Milan dominated from the start.
Robinho, who recently agreed a new deal to extend his stay at the San Siro, scored the opening goal with a brilliant finish in the first half. Former Manchester city defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong then doubled Milan’s advantage from a long-distance shot. It looked like Milan were going to end the match in a comfortable fashion.
However, ftbllr football blog reported that Dani Parejo pulled one back for Valencia and it threatened to destroy the perfect start for the Italian club, but they held on for a good victory. Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri recently stated that he does not think his team will be one of the favourites for the title. He thinks that the presence of Juventus and Napoli mean that Milan have to work extremely hard enough to even come close to a top three place. Despite the victory, there were concerns about the fitness levels of the players, as they began to tire late in the match.
Allegri, though, expects this problem to reduce as the pre-season continues.
“It was a very intense match. I wanted to see if the team was in the right physical and psychological condition. We need to improve, as at the end we were struggling to stay on our feet, but for the moment I am satisfied. It was important to have a strong performance, especially in defence. Some players need a little more time on the field, but we always play to win, as victories help you to work better. We’re on the right track, though we have to do better in the final third,” said Allegri.