Conceicao concerned about Milan’s mentality after Juventus defeat

Sergio Conceicao admitted he was worried about his AC Milan side after they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Juventus, his first defeat since taking over last month.

Conceicao started his reign with a 2–1 win over Juventus in their Supercoppa Italiana semi-final, a match the Rossoneri would later win in Saudi Arabia.

Milan backed up their title win with a draw against Cagliari and a victory over Como, but goals from Samuel Mbangula and Timothy Weah condemned them to a league defeat against Thiago Motta's side.

They have now failed to score just twice in their last 30 away games in Serie A, both times against Juventus (the previous was in April 2024).

Milan managed just three attempts on Michele Di Gregorio's goal and finished the match with an expected goals total (xG) of 0.97 at the Allianz Stadium.

The result leaves them eighth in the table, six points behind the Champions League places, with Conceicao acknowledging the need to make changes going forward.

“I am the coach and I have to change things. I am responsible for this defeat and I will work to find a solution to avoid such moments in the future. It is a possible mission,” Conceicao said at a news conference.

“The first step to winning the game is wanting to win… I am the guilty party and I take responsibility, but everyone must examine their conscience.”

Milan now turns its attention to the Champions League, with a match against Girona at San Siro on the horizon for its players.

The Rossoneri are 12th in the new 36-team league table, but are one point behind the top eight, with Dinamo Zagreb their final match of the league stage.

And despite only being in charge of five games in all competitions, Conceicao revealed he was worried about his players after their latest defeat.

“I think about what I can do to change the atmosphere in the locker room and around the team,” Conceicao added.

“We have to do more because we have the league, the Champions League and the Italian Cup.

“We need to improve, reflect on our current situation and consider changes in the dressing room environment.”