Allegri happy to focus on league

Posted Thursday, March 22, 2012 by ESPN

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was happy with his side's performance despite being knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Juventus.

Milan were always starting on the back foot given Antonio Conte's side held a 2-1 lead from the first leg at the San Siro.

Alessandro Del Piero put Juve further ahead in the first half and Milan faced a real uphill struggle but Djamel Mesbah's header reduced the deficit before a superb turn and strike by Maxi Lopez drew Milan level nine minutes from the end to force the tie into extra-time.

However, after 96 minutes Mirko Vucinic unleashed a shot into the top left-hand corner as Juve moved into the final.

Allegri, though, was pleased with his team who are four points clear at the top of Serie A.

He told the club's official website: "I think the team played a good game. I think we paid for the intensity of the game in the first five minutes of extra time. Now we focus on the league.

"It's not a question of character, but of technique.

"Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) had a bit of back pain but nothing serious. Maxi Lopez played well and I'm happy."

Vice-president Adriano Galliani echoed Allegri's sentiments, saying: "It was a good performance from Milan, a team that still has 12-13 players out injured.

"There's no doubt about it, with a full squad, we're much stronger than any other team in Italy.

"With so many injuries, it's obviously difficult, but nevertheless we can go to Turin and over 90 minutes, we won the match.

"Now we're out of the cup and we have to turn to the league.

"We have a very big game against Roma on Saturday and we have a four-point lead in the league and we have to try and build on that."