Milan's start is 'difficult' to explain, the substitutions 'changed the game'

Tijjani Reijnders was the hero of the night as Milan won their first Champions League game of the season and the midfielder praised coach Paulo Fonseca's substitution as he believes the players who came on after the break ” “brought new energy”.

Despite Christian Pulisic's opening goal and a red card for Brugge's Raphael Onyedika, the game remained evenly matched as the visitors equalized early in the second half, forcing Reijnders to score a much-needed brace that eventually allowed the Rossoneri to prevail over the Belgian outfit .

Reijnders: Milan “waked up” after Brugge’s goal thanks to the substitutions.

“I was dreaming, I was waiting for those first Champions League goals,” Reijnders told Sky Sport after the game, as quoted by TMW.

“I waited for one and got two, even better. We played too slowly in the first half, then woke up after the equalizer in the second half.

“It's hard to say at the moment (why Milan started slowly), we definitely have to watch the game again and analyze it.

“We can’t concede a goal due to numerical superiority, it can’t happen again.”

The Dutch midfielder's first goal was assisted by Noah Okafor, while the second goal was assisted by Samuel Chukwueze. Both came on as substitutes, the former replacing Rafael Leao, who was briefly substituted in the second half after sitting on the bench for 90 minutes against Udinese.

Reijnders insisted that while the Milan group had “many leaders”, Fonseca's substitutions had proved crucial today in “changing the game”.

“We lacked this (intensity) in the first half, the substitutions brought new energy,” the midfielder added.

“There are many leaders in our group, everyone has to be one in their own way. Everyone has to do their part, those who came on changed the game and that is important to us.”