Pioli praises 'strong' Rebic but says Milan have 'many issues'

After losing early,

replied with goals from

Theo Hernandez

and

. Another defensive error resulted to Udinese's first-half goal. Brahim Diaz scored in the second minute and Rebic sealed the win. As expected, Pioli told

DAZN

that they need to improve.

"We didn't like conceding early. We must start better. We played terrific football for 30 minutes. We confronted a physical foe. As is customary given the period, we take away many positive aspects and many to work on. Pioli said about Milan's game against

.

Rebic?

"He's a strong player who can help us." I know and he knows he's a key player for us. I think he assesses himself too much on goals, but he's done a lot for the team."

Diaz's goal

"We ask Brahim to be present and successful with assists; he scored and assisted today." He was busy. The team's passion and faith in our abilities grew."

Defense...

"We conceded two goals from a "inactive" ball, and we couldn't switch center-backs. Inattentive on the corner. We must fix this mistake. Next Sunday's opponent is really good; we must improve.

De Ketelaere...

"Great impressions; he's smart. He can foresee problems. He had a great summer, but he's not 100%. We aim to fill his solo spaces with more players. He's talented but from a different level and will require time to adjust.

Pioli's on Fire, Bob Sinclair, and fans...

"I'm surprised he didn't know it. Our fans' enthusiasm gives us power and energy. We hope the chant lasts forever. We have a nice season ahead; we started well. We must work since we made mistakes today and will make more. We cannot be flawless but must be as perfect as possible." Milan plays Atalanta away in round two next Sunday. Bergamo trounced Sampdoria 2-0 today; next weekend's matchup could be exciting.

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