Stefano Pioli insisted Milan were not distracted by Wednesday's decisive Champions League meeting with Salzburg during their demoralising Serie A loss to Torino.

Koffi Djidji and Aleksey Miranchuk scored in quick succession in the first half as Milan collapsed to a 2-1 defeat in Turin on Sunday.

Junior Messias got the Rossoneri back in the contest following a defensive mix-up after the break, but the Serie A champions never looked likely to complete a comeback on a chastening outing.

Milan will approach the European clash with Salzburg requiring just a point to join Chelsea in qualifying from Group E, but head coach Pioli is certain that was not on their minds.

"We could have done better in the flow of the ball, in defence and in attack. It was not the best evening," he said at his post-match press conference.

"To prepare well for the Champions League we had to do well tonight, we didn't think about it at all.

"We could have done better. It was a difficult and physical game, but we had to move better without the ball. You have to go looking for the chances, and you have to exploit them. They succeeded, with two goals in a few minutes.

"In the second half, we had a different attitude, but we didn't score immediately. The match went on the tracks preferred by Torino."

Djidji's opener halted a 499-minute streak in which Torino had not scored in their Serie A meetings with Milan, while the Rossoneri saw a 17-game unbeaten run on the road in Serie A come to an end.

Milan's frustrations were summed up by the efforts of Rafael Leao, who approached the trip to Turin in excellent form but was hauled off at the break after a poor opening period.

The Portugal forward failed to hit the target with four shots amounting to 0.51 expected goals (xG) during his 45-minute outing, leading Pioli to confirm he was substituted due to his poor display.

"It was not his best evening, this is evident," Pioli told DAZN after the defeat. "I tried to change the attack, but we needed to take a chance a little earlier, to play a little earlier, and we did not manage to get it back."

Milan failed to move back within three points of Serie A leaders Napoli as goals from Koffi Djidji and Aleksey Miranchuk condemned the Rossoneri to a surprise 2-1 loss to Torino.

Miranchuk followed up Djidji's glancing header with a cultured left-footed finish as Torino scored twice in two frantic first-half minutes to stun Milan at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

Stefano Pioli's men travelled to Turin looking to stay within touching distance of the Serie A summit, but were uncharacteristically lethargic for long periods on Sunday.

Junior Messias was gifted a goal following a bizarre mix-up at the back, but Milan failed to build on that strike late on as Torino clung on for a huge win.

Rafael Leao missed two golden chances in the first six minutes, sending a wild volley over after breaking in behind before mishitting his shot after being teed up by Brahim Diaz.

Torino punished Milan for their wastefulness 10 minutes before the break, as Djidji nodded Valentino Lazaro's deep free-kick in off the right-hand post.

Things quickly went from bad to worse for the champions as Miranchuk latched onto Nikola Vlasic's knock-down before shifting the ball onto his left foot and finishing coolly across Tatarusanu. 

Sergino Dest fired over from range as Milan attempted to lift the tempo after the break, before Messias ensured a tense finish when he curled home following a clash between Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Perr Schuurs.

Torino boss Ivan Juric was dismissed for berating referee Rosario Abisso following that goal, but his team showed greater composure to see out the closing stages in relative comfort.

What does it mean? Rossoneri fall short

Although the likes of Napoli and Atalanta have made headlines in Serie A by emerging as surprise pacesetters, Milan had begun their title defence in solid fashion, stretching their unbeaten away run to 17 league games ahead of Sunday's contest (W12 D5).

Milan had also kept five consecutive clean sheets in league meetings with Torino prior to this game, but they saw both of those records fall by the wayside after a quickfire double from their hosts, who richly deserved the win following a disciplined performance.

Djidji ends barren run

To say Torino have struggled against Milan in recent meetings would be an understatement: Djidji's opener ended a 499-minute run in which Torino had failed to find the net against Milan in Serie A meetings.

Their previous goal against the Rossoneri in the competition was scored by Andrea Belotti in September 2019, and prior to Sunday's game, no player in Torino's current squad had scored a league goal against Milan.

Leao kept quiet

Leao has emerged as the most obvious goal threat in an exciting Milan team, having recorded nine league goal contributions (five goals, four assists) ahead of the trip to Turin.

However, the Portugal attacker was hauled off at the break after a disappointing first half in which he squandered chances amounting to 0.51 expected goals (xG) and failed to hit the target with any of his four attempts.

What's next?

Milan host Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, needing to avoid defeat to reach the last 16. Torino, meanwhile, go to Bologna in Serie A next Sunday.

Stefano Pioli believes Milan are capable of going beyond the 85-point mark in Serie A and insists that is the target as a title battle with Napoli looms.

There are other teams who could also be a factor, but Napoli are the side who have made a flying start, and defending champions Milan were their closest challengers heading into this weekend.

The Rossoneri head coach says it is not essential that his team head the table when the World Cup break comes around next month, but he is wary of letting Napoli build any sort of substantial lead.

Luciano Spalletti's team have already beaten Milan this season, which remains the only league defeat suffered by Pioli's men through 11 rounds of games.

On Sunday, Milan head to Torino, and they only managed a goalless draw in the corresponding game last season.

With only three more Serie A matchdays remaining after this weekend before the World Cup leads to a seven-week pause, Pioli wants Milan to go into the interval on a high.

"We started at the beginning of the season with two objectives: to be as advanced as possible in the league on November 13 and to overcome the group in the Champions League," Pioli said.

Milan will have achieved the second of those aims if they avoid defeat to Salzburg at San Siro on Wednesday, as the games come thick and fast.

"We have many important games in a few days, but the team are doing well," Pioli said. "I have players who are available and strong.

"I will field those who I consider appropriate to win these challenges. Tomorrow is the most important, we are prepared to face it in the best possible way.

"We need to score as many points as possible. It will not be decisive to be first on November 13, but you have to get above 85 points. The more games you win now, the better."

It is not always the case, but passing 85 points is usually enough to land a Scudetto. The last team to top that mark but miss out on the title were Napoli in the 2017-18 season, when they posted 91 but finished four points behind Juventus.

Milan accumulated 86 points last term to pip Inter by two points.

Torino sit 10th in the table, and Pioli said Milan would need to show "quality and personality" on Sunday, predicting heavy pressure from the hosts.

"We want to give continuity by looking for a streak of results as long as possible. Napoli are doing very well and winning on Sunday would be important," Pioli said.

Brahim Diaz, who scored twice in the 4-1 win over Monza last weekend before being substituted with a muscle injury, has been passed fit for the game in Turin.

Stefano Pioli will set his Milan side out to qualify for the Champions League round of 16 in style by beating Salzburg in a decisive San Siro showdown next week.

The Rossoneri moved above Salzburg into second place in Group E on Tuesday with a 4-0 demolition of Dinamo Zagreb at Stadion Maksimir.

Matteo Gabbia opened the scoring with his first Milan goal, heading in a Sandro Tonali free-kick, and the Serie A champions ran away with it in the second half.

Rafael Leao's solo strike doubled their lead, and Olivier Giroud added a third from the penalty spot before a bizarre Robert Ljubicic own goal completing the scoring, with Dinamo's hopes of qualifying emphatically dashed.

Milan now only need a point to advance along with group winners Chelsea, who beat Salzburg 2-1, but head coach Pioli will not be taking a cautious approach to such a crucial game against the champions of Austria at San Siro next Wednesday.

He said: "Two out of three results are not a double-edged sword. We are not mentally and tactically built to manage, we have to play our best to get the win."

The Rossoneri finished bottom of their group last season, and Pioli believes reaching the last 16 would show the strides they have made.

He added: "I think it is clear that our growth comes from qualification. We have to play with our mentality, and it is the next step, where we would show that we are doing better than last year.

"We must close the discussion next Wednesday without forgetting the championship. We need concentration for the league match against Torino [on Sunday]. Then we will have the time and attention necessary to take care of the next Champions League match in the best possible way."

Pioli praised centre-back Gabbia, who was rock solid at the heart of the Milan defence after coming in to replace the suspended Fikayo Tomori.

"I continue to be convinced of the strength of my group," he said. "I emphasise Matteo's seriousness, but also his skills. He has a sense of position, physicality and skill in aerial duels."

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli conceded Charles De Ketelaere "has to do more", as the Belgian's slow start to life at San Siro continued.

The 21-year-old was a marquee addition in the pre-season transfer window, penning a five-year deal after the Serie A champions splashed a reported €36million to secure his services from Club Brugge.

Expectations were high after 14 goals and nine assists in Belgium's top flight last season, but he is yet to make such an impact in Milan, contributing just a single assist in his first 10 Serie A appearances.

Pioli has made it clear he is expecting more from the Belgian, who is likely to represent his nation at the World Cup.

"De Ketelaere has the quality to make an impact in our offensive play. He has to do more, he knows that too," Pioli told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"He still needs time, but the will of the boy counts. If you play in a top club, like Milan, you absolutely have to accept this competition and you have to do every day better than your teammate to convince the coach."

In further comments made to DAZN after Saturday's 4-1 win over Monza, Pioli expressed his understanding that it is still early days, adding: "Charles has only been here for a few months. I had intended to only play him for 15 minutes this evening, but we had to rush it because of that injury [to Braham Diaz].

"He has the quality, he just needs to believe in himself to really bring that potential out. He’s an intelligent lad, he knows how good he is, but it is a process and will require some time with good and not so good performances to get there."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has continued to have a positive impact at Milan during his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, according to Stefano Pioli. 

The 41-year-old, who has scored 33 goals in 60 league appearances in his second spell with the Rossoneri, underwent surgery in May.

Ibrahimovic's career appeared to be in danger at that time, but the Sweden great declared last month: "If I see a player stronger than me, I'll stop. But I haven't seen him yet."

While the striker is not expected to feature for the Scudetto holders until 2023, Pioli says he has been a "positive" figure around the Rossoneri squad during his layoff. 

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Serie A meeting with Monza, Pioli said: "Zlatan, in everything he says and does, is never trivial. He is very intelligent.

"He knows how we want to play and how we prepare for matches, and he confronts me. His presence is positive.

"His recovery is still a little bit long. It will take some time to see him again on the pitch; it is nice, however, to see him here in Milanello, he is fine with the boys."

Milan have won seven of their first 10 games of a Serie A season as defending champions for the first time since 1992-93, when they retained the Scudetto, but they still sit three points adrift of leaders Napoli.

However, Pioli believes his side deserve to have won more points than they have, adding: "The calendar is completely different, compared to the first half of last year.

"In my opinion, we deserved to collect something more, like with Napoli [a 2-1 home loss last month], for example. Then there were some negative situations that need to be improved. Our level must always be high."

Pioli also offered an update on the condition of Mike Maignan following reports suggesting the France goalkeeper could miss the World Cup after suffering a setback in his battle against a calf injury.

"We are sorry for Mike," Pioli said. "We evaluated everything possible, he wanted to play in Verona [last Sunday], we had checked everything, but this injury will keep him out at least until January."

While the absence of Maignan would leave France lacking competition for Hugo Lloris between the sticks, French media reports have since claimed the 27-year-old could still recover in time to travel to Qatar, with Pioli's words said to be referring only to his club availability.

Milan's never-say-die attitude was the key to victory as Sandro Tonali's late goal gave the reigning champions a 2-1 away victory over Hellas Verona in Serie A.

That is the view of head coach Stefano Pioli, whose team went ahead within nine minutes when Rafael Leao's cross was turned into his own net by Miguel Veloso, but Verona were level soon after when Koray Gunter's shot deflected in off Matteo Gabbia.

With time running out, it appeared Milan would take just a point from the game, until Tonali swept home to secure a fourth straight league win for Pioli's side with eight minutes remaining. 

Milan move up to third in Serie A, crucially remaining just three points behind early leaders Napoli as they look to secure a second successive league title.

"[It was a] difficult game, we started well," said Pioli.

"Then we made a few mistakes too many, conceding too many chances. But as usual, the team was able to endure it and our qualities made us win the game."

When asked how positive he was feeling about his side ahead of a busy spell of fixtures, Pioli replied: "We have managed for the first time to win three consecutive games in this championship.

"We are growing, maybe I could have changed something more at the beginning, but we know how important this phase of the season is, and starting with a victory is the best way to face this period.

"They induced some mistakes with the pressure, we made some mistakes.

"But winning these difficult games means that we are growing mentally and in awareness, and that we never give up. This is a quality that my team has inside and knows how to bring out in the important moments."

Sunday's victory followed a midweek 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League, and Pioli acknowledged his team may have been struggling with fatigue despite the win over Verona.

"I know we can play better," Pioli added. "But the boys know it too.

"Character growth is important and allows us to overcome difficult obstacles like these.

"We hope to be able to recover some energy and even some players, an important period of competition awaits us. I'm not saying that they will be decisive for the whole season, but we are close."

Sandro Tonali fired a late winner as Milan earned a 2-1 away victory over Hellas Verona to climb to third in Serie A and stay in touch with early leaders Napoli.

Stefano Pioli's visitors got themselves ahead early on when Rafael Leao's cross was diverted by Miguel Veloso into his own net, though the lead lasted just 10 minutes as Koray Gunter's shot came off Matteo Gabbia and nestled in the back of the net.

It looked as if Milan would have to settle for a draw until Tonali's cool finish in the 81st minute proved decisive.

Milan's fourth successive Serie A victory over Verona moves them up to third, just three points behind leaders Napoli as Pioli's men look to retain their title.

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli refused to discuss Fikayo Tomori's controversial red card after the Champions League defeat to Chelsea, stating "it seems too obvious to me".

The Rossoneri suffered their fifth successive home loss against English opposition in the competition as first-half goals from Jorginho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang settled the Group E clash at San Siro.

However, the pendulum swung firmly in Chelsea's favour in the 18th minute when former Blues defender Tomori was shown a straight red card by referee Daniel Siebert following a tangle with Mason Mount in the box with the England international through on goal.

Tomori had fallen on to the wrong side of Mount, though may feel hard done by after the Chelsea forward managed to stay on his feet and fire a shot at goal, leaving Pioli frustrated by the decision.

"The game began, and the feeling was to be able to play a good game," Pioli told Mediaset. "Then, [the] penalty and dismissal changed everything, Chelsea did not need to play in numerical superiority.

"I don't want to review the episode, it seems too obvious to me. I do not want to comment. I told the referee what I think; I don't even speak such fluent English, but I think he understood."

Defender Pierre Kalulu concurred that the whole complexion of the contest turned on the incident as Milan missed the opportunity to move top of the group.

"If Mount gets to score the goal, I don't know if the referee would have whistled and given the red," Kalulu said. 

"For me, this type of foul is very light. At this level – in the Champions League – it is a bit difficult to accept.

"We wanted to play another game, with determination and the will to be present in all the duels. After the dismissal, it was another match."

Stefano Pioli is adamant Milan possess the quality to compete with Chelsea in Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash at San Siro.

While the Rossoneri are going well on the domestic front, sitting three points behind Serie A leaders Napoli after Saturday's 2-0 win over Juventus, they have struggled on the European stage this term.

Milan suffered their heaviest Champions League group-stage defeat when they lost 3-0 at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, leaving them third in Group E after three games.

The Italian giants have also lost four of their last five games at home to English teams in the Champions League (W1), and are winless in their last five European meetings with Chelsea (D3 L2).

However, Pioli is confident they can test the Blues this time around, saying: "It is the identity and the quality with which you play the game that can make the difference. 

"Tomorrow we face a team that just over a year ago won the Champions League, which has strengthened itself, which has international level players, so it is clear that our level will have to be high if we want to compete and try to win the game. 

"I believe that my players have the qualities to stay at that level, as long as we can play a game of attention, determination, trying to be as precise as possible because, in addition to their qualities, Chelsea have been able to make the most of our mistakes. 

"The fact that we played against them only a week ago helps us, in the sense that we were able to analyse the game well. I expect an improvement in dynamism, in personality."

Graham Potter is yet to lose a game as Chelsea head coach since replacing Thomas Tuchel last month, recording three wins and one draw with the Blues, but Pioli hopes Milan's home advantage could prove decisive.

"It seems to me that at this moment they, with the new coach, have found certain positions on the pitch that are giving them very good results," Pioli added.

"I don't think there is a warmer stadium than ours right now. We have fans who really push and support us and we feel it. Of course, I hope to be able to bring this to the pitch."

Fikayo Tomori challenged his team-mates to show the "real Milan" when they face Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday after losing comprehensively in London last week.

Former Chelsea defender Tomori did not enjoy the happy homecoming he might have dreamt of at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, as Milan were beaten 3-0.

That was Milan's heaviest group-stage defeat in Champions League history, as the Rossoneri barely laid a glove on their hosts.

Milan had just four attempts at goal. Only twice since at least the 2003-04 season have Chelsea faced fewer shots in a Champions League game, with Malmo managing two in October last year and Galatasaray tallying three in 2014.

Stefano Pioli's side responded on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Juventus in Serie A, Tomori getting one of the goals, and he is eager for the defending Italian champions to produce a performance more befitting of their status when Chelsea visit San Siro.

"After Chelsea I was angry and I wanted to give everything on the pitch, then I scored and I felt this [intense] feeling: I was excited and happy," he told reporters when asked about his passionate celebration on Saturday.

"I wanted to cancel out the game in London, and scoring was a good feeling.

"[The Chelsea defeat] was a bad game for us, we didn't play as usual or as I've become used to seeing over the last year and a half.

"But we managed to react positively, playing an excellent match against Juve. This allowed us to ward off the defeat against Chelsea and we are here to take our revenge.

"I always [try to] do my best in every match; last week I didn't succeed, but football always gives you another chance and we will try to make the most of it."

He added: "Certainly, we will show that we can do much better. We don't need motivation: we will certainly push harder.

"We want to win every match. We are angry because we didn't win in London, we want to eradicate that performance. We weren't the real Milan, it wasn't the one I've seen. We have to learn from London."

While Milan have not beaten Chelsea in Europe in five matches since 1966, the Blues are winless away to an Italian side in the Champions League going back to 2003, a run of seven games.

Chelsea lost their most recent Champions League away game on matchday one when defeated by Dinamo Zagreb, a loss that ultimately cost Thomas Tuchel his job.

Now under the guidance of Graham Potter, Chelsea have proven that was a momentary blip: Pioli hopes Milan can make a similar point.

"We have to show that [the Stamford Bridge game] was a single episode and that it cannot be normal for our level," the coach said.

"We were disappointed. [Tuesday] will be another game, but we have to learn from the situations of last week; we evaluated the mistakes, Chelsea exploited them.

"We must not be worried: yes disappointed for London, but this is another match and we must be able to play at our level."

Fikayo Tomori joked he does not purposely reserve all of his goals for Milan's clashes with Juventus after netting again in the famous fixture to help his side to a 2-0 win.

The England international opened the scoring from a few yards out in Saturday's Serie A contest after inadvertently blocking a goal-bound Olivier Giroud volley.

That was Tomori's second league goal for Milan, with the other coming in a 3-0 victory for the Rossoneri against the same opposition in May 2021.

Among players to have scored 100 per cent of their Serie A goals against Juve, Tomori is one of three to have scored more than once, alongside Luigi Carello and Francesco Duzioni.

Brahim Diaz added a second goal for Milan with a superb solo effort that started inside his own half, and Tomori says picking up all three points means more than his own rare strike.

Asked about his record against Juve, Tomori told DAZN: "It's not on purpose! Every game against Juve is important. I'm happy to score, but the most important thing is getting the three points.

"I was a little fortunate with the goal, but I'm happy with it, the clean sheet and the victory. We had a bit more determination and will try to win on Tuesday [against Chelsea]."

Tomori is one of three English players to have scored more than one goal against Juventus in Serie A, the others being Gerald Hitchens (three) and Tammy Abraham (two).

Juve were unhappy the opener stood due to what they felt was a foul by Theo Hernandez on Juan Cuadrado in the build-up to the corner that led to the goal, but VAR could not intervene as it was a separate phase of play.

Diaz's strike early in the second half ensured a straightforward victory for Milan, who join Napoli and Atalanta – both of whom are in action on Sunday – at the top of Serie A on 20 points.

Saturday's victory marked a return to winning ways for Milan on the back of a 3-0 loss at Chelsea in Wednesday's Champions League meeting, but Stefano Pioli's side have a chance for revenge when they reconvene at San Siro next week.

"Today's match was very intense," Pioli said. "We made too many misplaced passes in the opening 20 minutes.

"We worked as a team today, whereas unfortunately we lost our shape in London and got too intimidated by our own mistakes and the strength of the opponent. We know that if we work together, we can get positive results.

"The reason we didn't do well in London is because we were not aggressive enough and we made too many unforced errors without needing Chelsea to be aggressive in their press against us.

"This was a very important game in Serie A, as it always is between Milan and Juventus, so we had the right attitude from the start."

Stefano Pioli has called for Milan to respond to Wednesday's demoralising defeat at Chelsea when they host Juventus in a huge Serie A clash on Saturday.

Goals from Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reece James condemned Milan to their heaviest ever Champions League group-stage loss last time out, ensuring the Rossoneri remain third in Group E.

Milan have fared better on the domestic front, however, and sit four points clear of the under-fire Bianconeri in the early-season Serie A table.

Speaking at Friday's pre-match news conference, Pioli called for Milan to set their chastening defeat at Stamford Bridge aside as he demanded defensive improvements.  

"We put the game in London behind us straight away and we'll revisit it from Sunday onwards," Pioli said. "The players are eager to react. 

"This doesn't necessarily mean we'll win because the opponents exist too, but we won't be lacking in desire, motivation and determination.

"We've conceded a few too many goals. We can do better, and Chelsea did well to make the most of our mistakes the other night. 

"When there are simple situations, a team of our quality needs to be more attentive. We're a bit more of an attacking side than last year, but I don't think that it can be put down to this.

"Often, we have the numerical superiority, and we can interpret certain situations better."

Milan's last home outing saw them lose to Serie A leaders Napoli, ending a six-match winning streak at San Siro in the competition. The Rossoneri have never lost successive home league games under Pioli.

Meanwhile, Pioli has defended young forward Charles De Ketelaere, who has yet to score since joining from Club Brugge, comparing his early struggles to those of Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali.

"He's on the right path, and I'm happy with what he's doing. I remember Rafa three years ago and Tonali in his first year," Pioli said.

"Many were quick to criticise them and question their qualities. Charles is talented and needs time to adapt and learn about certain situations, but he's on the right path."

Although Juventus have made an underwhelming start to the new campaign, they have lost just four Serie A games in 2022, and Pioli expects a stern test.

"During a season, there are two or three games that carry more weight, and going up against Juventus is of particular importance for many reasons," Pioli said.

"We're all responsible for the performance in London, and we're determined to show that we're a different team compared to the one that showed up on Wednesday."

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri urged his under-fire team to manage their nerves ahead of Saturday's trip to Serie A champions Milan.

Juve have only won three of their eight Serie A matches this season, and Allegri has faced severe criticism with the Bianconeri already seven points behind leaders Napoli.

While Allegri's team boosted their Champions League hopes by beating Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday, they go to San Siro having failed to win any of their three away league games this term.

Should they fail to beat the Rossoneri, it will be just the second time they have started a Serie A season with a four-match winless run on the road, having done so in 1993-94.

Allegri believes his team's problems are primarily psychological, saying: "The other day I was reflecting, we made a mistake with Salernitana [in a 2-2 draw last month], regardless of what happened at the end.

"We got too nervous and it doesn't have to happen any more, because the championship is long. 

"We wasted a lot of energy and we arrived at Monza not in the ideal conditions to get the three points that would have changed the standings.

"The most important thing is to give continuity, tomorrow is a great game and we have to play it. We need a high level of performance. 

"However, they have a strong team, with technical and very fast players. They have [Rafael] Leao who can shift the balance, then they play in front of their fans and San Siro pushes them when full.

"You need personality and clarity. It will be a good test.

"It is Milan-Juventus, we play against the Italian champions and it will be more difficult than usual because they come from a bad defeat [3-0 to Chelsea], and they will want to make up for it."

Allegri led Milan to the Scudetto in the 2010-11 season, but Stefano Pioli ended the Rossoneri's 11-year wait to replicate that triumph in May.

The Juventus boss heaped praise on his counterpart as he added: "He is doing better [than myself], because they have four points more than us. 

"I can only congratulate Pioli for the work he is doing, for the championship he won last year, which they haven't won since 2011. The numbers are all on his side."

Milan have avoided defeat in four of their last five Serie A meetings with Juventus (W2 L2), having lost 13 of their previous 14 league games against them (W1).

Milan manager Stefano Pioli rued his side's poor play in Wednesday's 3-0 loss against Chelsea, saying the kind of mistakes made by his team "cannot be committed in the Champions League".

The scoring was opened by Chelsea's big-money signing in the middle of defence, with Wesley Fofana scrapping home a loose ball in the box following a corner in the 24th minute.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reece James then put the game to bed in the second half with goals in the 56th and 61st minutes respectively, and they were able to restrict the visiting Italians to one shot on target for the entire game.

Pioli lamented his side's mistakes, saying teams in the Champions League will always punish you.

"Errors? It is true that they cannot be committed in the Champions League," he told reporters. "We forced choices that weren't forced. We have lost our distance. It is a pity because, beyond their qualities, we could have done something more. 

"It has nothing to do with little experience, it has nothing to do with those who were not there. We had to be more lucid, in ball recovery and aggression, we had to do better.

"The second goal changed our attitude, our mentality. We weren't able to stay as a team as we usually do. At these levels you pay dearly for these things."

He added on Sky Sports: "We had to do better. It's clear that when you make so many technical mistakes you allow opponents to put you in difficulty. 

"I think the team was ready to play this type of match. There were spaces to be more precise and we gave too much field to the opponents. 

"Defeats must help us grow. The locker room was rightly disappointed and angry, but this will give us great motivation and drive."

This result leaves Chelsea and Milan both on four points in Group E, trailing undefeated Salzburg (one win, two draws).

The defeat marked the sixth time in the competition that Milan have lost by three goals or more and the first time since March 2014 against Atletico Madrid.