A goal in each half from Jaap Stam and Andriy Shevchenko ensured Milan took control of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against city rivals Internazionale.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with his side’s performance.
“The match went how I was expecting it to,” said Ancelotti. “Both teams tried to play well and to win.
“We were really good in the decisive moments. Our team was extremely balanced. The second leg won’t be easy. Inter are a solid team and they will try to be more offensive. We will have to play as well as we did today.
“I’m really happy about the performance of Shevchenko, and Dida was also great. [Alessandro] Nesta came off because he had a thigh problem. Inter performed pretty well in the first half, but we had a few chances on the counterattack.”
Inter coach, Roberto Mancini, lamented his side’s defensive lapses which led to both goals.
It was a very balanced game,” said Mancini. “Two free-kicks made the difference. I’m sorry for the way we defended for the two goals. We didn’t pay enough attention.
“We played better than Milan during the first half. Dida made a couple of really good saves. We now have nothing to lose. Milan are two goals ahead but we’ll will try to narrow the gap. We will have to perform better than we did today, mainly in attack.
“We have not managed to score against Milan in the last three games, but perhaps we can score three in the second leg. Sometimes it happens. The return of Adriano could be decisive and the absence of Gattuso (who is suspended) will surely affect Milan’s performance.
