MILANELLO – More from Ignazio Abate in his interview to the Milan Channel:

“Not many of the players had experienced the kind of atmosphere there was last night, but that has to become the norm once again. A packed San Siro is the team’s 12th man and the fans with their great support helped carry us towards a massive win. Had we not won last night, we would have complicated matters in the league table. This derby win has a special taste, also because of the positions in the table. Aside from the satisfaction for the club and for us players, as the coach has said, it was vital to win to stay in the hunt for the top positions. We put in a great performance, but we have to already put it to one side and focus now on Palermo. We’re improving, and it is the defence that benefits the most when the whole team works hard and plays in a certain manner. Versus Inter, the forwards were the first line of defence. I saw Niang track back all the way to our by-line. When this happens, our job in defence becomes easier and it is that much harder for our opponents. It was great to see the President at the stadium last night. He is our first fan and I think he is the soul of this club. He has had to suffer in the past 2 years, but winning the derby the way we did, we have given him an enormous amount of satisfaction. Ifs and buts take you nowhere. We need to let our football do the talking. We are on the right track. We are a tough side to beat, but to keep winning we need to be more clinical and be more focused, just like last night, taking our chances. There is still a lot of work to do. The match at Palermo will be different to the Inter game. They will close up, but they also need the points up for grabs. We know that in the matches after the derby, especially the midweek matches, there is always the risk of arriving drained mentally and physically. We have to win at all costs. A sparkling performance will count for nothing, if we are not clinical and don’t get the 3 points. We need to be on top-form, but it won’t be easy.”