UEFA Champions League 2024/25: Milan boss Fonseca unhappy with defending after 3-2 win over Slovan

Milan secured a third consecutive Champions League win but had to hang on as the host pulled one goal back in the 88th minute and pushed for a leveller.

AC Milan’s head coach Paulo Fonseca reacts during the Champions League opening-phase match between Slovan Bratislava and AC Milan in Bratislava. | Photo Credit: AP

AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca said his side needed to improve its defending after it almost let its lead slip away in a 3-2 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday.

Milan secured a third consecutive Champions League win but had to hang on as the host pulled one goal back in the 88th minute and pushed for a leveller.

While Fonseca was delighted that his side moved on to nine points, the Portuguese manager pointed out his team’s defensive errors that led to the late drama.

“We have won the last three games in the Champions League. We have scored nine goals. It is very positive. Today it was important to win, and that is what we did,” Fonseca told reporters.

“I think we dominated during the match. We changed a lot of players. We did some positive things but also some things to improve, maybe because we changed a lot of players.

“We didn’t do the defensive marking well, then after the break, we improved. We deserved to win. We deserved to end with a different result.”

Fonseca added that he did not see a problem with his players’ attitude, but rather in their reading and understanding of the game when defending.

“These things are difficult to explain. Maybe because these defenders haven’t played much. It’s a question of reading, not of attitude,” he said.

“In the first half, when we allowed Slovan to come out, it was a question of defensive marking. We were too far away with the defenders, and they were always alone to come out. It’s a problem of reading and understanding what was happening.”