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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

AC Milan stars receive dressing down from ultras as defeat leaves top-four spot in doubt

AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli and his players were lambasted by the club's Ultras after Saturday's loss to Spezia.

Milan were humbled 2-0 on the road after late goals from Przemyslaw Wisniewski and Salvatore Esposito. It was a game Pioli's side were expected to win, as Spezia were sat in the relegation zone before kick-off. The Italian minnows are now up to 17th in Serie A.

As for Milan, they remain fifth in the table. That result leaves them four points behind Lazio in fourth with just three league fixtures remaining. It caps off a disappointing week for Milan, who were beaten 2-0 by bitter rivals Inter Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday.

The latter game was the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, with the return leg also taking place at the San Siro in two days' time. If Milan fail to overturn that two-goal deficit and reach the final, they will finish the season without silverware.

Milan's struggles are alarming considering they won the Serie A title just a year ago. As such, it's easy to see why their fans are so frustrated.

At the end of the game, Pioli took his squad over to the travelling Milan fans and stood in silence while the Ultras let them know exactly what they thought. Those supporters will be hoping that pep talk does the trick ahead of Tuesday's huge European clash.

Milan players looked dejected as they listened to the club's fans (Getty Images)

What do you make of AC Milan's ultras speaking to the players at full-time? Let us know in the comments below!

Milan will be the away team for that game, but it won't feel that way due to them sharing a ground with Inter. The second leg is as close to a home game as you can get, which will give the losing side confidence of completing a remarkable comeback.

The Champions League is the biggest and most important competition in Milan's eyes. They have won it seven times in their history, with only Real Madrid boasting more titles (14). Real have won five European Cups since Milan's most recent triumph in 2007.

Milan will be hoping to face the Spanish giants in the final in Istanbul on June 10, with Real battling Manchester City in the other last-four tie. The first leg in Madrid finished 1-1.

Milan defender Simon Kjaer is determined to put things right on Tuesday. He told DAZN after Saturday's game: "They [the Ultras] said this evening was insufficient, but there is a game on Tuesday where we need to just cancel today and prepare for another war.

"I am not sure who started that, to be honest. I saw it in a positive way, I have been surprised by how our fans have been close to us at all times, even when we played badly. I realise it might not be a good look, but they were right behind us.

"If I knew how to resolve this issue, we'd be in a different position this season. It is difficult to understand why we have struggled so much in this type of game and threw too many points away. It simply wasn't enough and we need to improve this aspect of our performances."

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