“We must not wait until the 70th minute”

Matteo Gabbia was happy with the response that AC Milan showed during their win over Como, but insisted that second-half comebacks can’t always be the way.

When Assane Diao put Como a goal ahead in the second half after cutting inside and firing past Mike Maignan at his near post, it looked like heading towards being another difficult night for Milan.

However, just like they did in the Supercoppa Italiana against Juventus and Inter, the Rossoneri roared back with quick-fire goals. The equaliser came from Theo Hernandez’s looping effort, then Rafael Leao converted a one-on-one with unreal composure to turn the game on its head.

It wasn’t a vintage performance by any means and there are still a lot of concerns, especially given Christian Pulisic went off injured in the first half, but it was another important mental step.

Gabbia spoke to Sky after the full-time whistle to assess what was an evening that threatened to be another sour one in the league but ended up sweet, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

It is a third comeback under Conceicao, surely it cannot be a coincidence?

“An important victory also for how it came about. We know that we must not wait until the 70th minute to overturn the result, the coach also told us: we must attack the game from the start. We will try to work to improve these defects.”

Is there a mentality issue in the league compared to in other competitions?

“We play a lot and we have many important matches, sometimes it’s easier and other times more difficult. With the coach we are working a lot on the approach to the matches.”

Were you expecting to be benched four games in a row?

“It’s normal that I personally would prefer to always play, I said it even when I played more: we are a group of capable centre-backs, who train well. The coach makes the choices and has seen other players to be better. I have to try to put him in difficulty but I have to respect the coach’s choices.”

What has changed in defence with Conceicao?

“We are trying to keep the line very high and play very aggressive football in all areas of the pitch. These are things that will improve over time. The coach has just arrived and we have had many games. These are the things he pushes on the most.”

What mental aspects is he working on?

“He’s trying to instil in us the approach to the game that must be strong both defensively and in possession of the ball. With a little time it will come, obviously the results are the most important thing.”