Farris: "Quality and commitment, a big victory"

“We did better in the second half today, and the substitutes helped us secure the result. Barella returned fired up after his goal for Italy and has had an excellent season, but the same can be said for many players. As regards Acerbi, the Coach obviously makes the final decision. We spoke, waited for him to return and stood by him. He’s a great lad, but it was a nasty incident. We hope that it’s now behind us and we can get back to only talking about football. These lads possess real quality. We provide the ideas and sheet music, but then it is up to them to perform it as best they can. Just look at the chance for Bastoni when he hit the post: our midfielders cover the spaces when our defenders go forward, and that is all teamwork. The fact that Dimarco scored makes us very happy and proud. Lautaro was the last player to return from international duty and had the longest trip. He’s always made himself available; he’s the captain, and the entire team looks for him to score. Yes, he’s gone a few games without finding the net, but the work that he, Thuram and Sanchez do is incredible. They also really help us out when we don’t have the ball. Today, we scored through a defender but also an attacker following a lovely move that saw two substitutes combine. We’ve picked up a lot of points and have a healthy lead, but that isn’t enough: we need to carry on working well and continue to keep it tight at the back. A Scudetto triumph is in our minds, and we’re enjoying the journey. Now, we need to go to Udine and produce a good performance. This group shows so much commitment every training session.”