Spalletti: "We made a good impression, we could have finished it off sooner"

MILAN - The Nerazzurri netted four on matchday 33 of the Serie A season during the win over Cagliari with goals from Cancelo, Icardi, Brozovic and Perisic. "It was a good performance, the team took to the pitch in the right way and immediately got between Cagliari’s lines," said Luciano Spalletti in his post-match interviews. "After securing the result, we knocked the ball around at the right tempo while at 1-0 we didn’t have the right pace in our play. We could have made it secure in the first half. Quality is not just about technique but character and physical strength as well. You need all three in football if you want to aim for significant results." 

There were then some comments on individuals. "Karamoh? He’s a strong player with flair and a good turn of pace. He had a good game but he can do even better. In terms of finishing and the overall balance of the team, he can improve but he’s a lad of real quality. With the right focus and through hard work, he could become a great player. Rafinha? He’s a very technical player, he always anticipates the play and thinks in the right way. Icardi? He’s scored a lot of goals but he’s working to drop deeper in order to get on the ball more so the team plays closer together and so that he can be more unpredictable." 

The only negative note of the evening was the injury picked up by Gagliardini. "We’ll evaluate him after the tests but to be without him will have an impact because he’s great physically and links up well with Brozovic as they’ve developed a great understanding in midfield. I’d be really sorry to lose him."