16 September 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace might have grabbed the headlines, but Massimiliano Allegri was always convinced that the Portuguese would find the net against Sassuolo.
"He came very close in his first three games," said the coach. "I think he rushed a couple of chances today – it looked like he was absolutely desperate to score. Football has a way of evening things out and that was the story of the first goal, with the ball bouncing off the post and sitting up for him. The second goal was brilliant. I’m happy for him.
"Sassuolo are a good side. They made it hard for us in the first half, but they dropped off a bit in the second half and we were able to tip the game in our favour."
The black mark on the day was the late sending off of Douglas Costa.
"These things shouldn’t happen," said Allegri. "The only thing we have to avoid doing this year is rising to the provocation. We had the game where we wanted it, but we started playing as individuals and not as a team. That’s not good because it gives the opposition a chance to push forward and create chances."
