Cutrone hopes to keep learning from Higuain after pair inspire AC Milan to win

Posted Saturday, September 01, 2018 by PA

AC Milan striker Patrick Cutrone hopes to keep learning from Gonzalo Higuain after the Argentinian set up his dramatic match-winning goal against Roma on Friday night.

Substitute Cutrone struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Milan took a 2-1 win over Roma, their first victory of the season.

And it was Higuain who slipped the ball through to the 20-year-old, who just three years ago was posing for pictures alongside his now team-mate as a fan.

“I’m very happy we won the game, what more could I want? A victory like that is even better,” Cutrone said on Sky Sports Italia.

“We all know what a player (Higuain) is, he is one of the best in the world. It is an honour to be able to train with him and to learn from him. I don’t want to be on the bench but I have a great striker in front of me and I will do my best to give the coach a problem.”

Cutrone’s strike settled a match which Milan dominated in the first half, taking the lead through Franck Kessie, but then saw Roma on top after the break as they levelled through Federico Fazio.

Both sides had goals ruled out by the VAR – first Higuain who thought he had restored Milan’s lead moments after Fazio’s leveller, then Stephen N’Zonzi who appeared to have won it for Roma late on.

Roma coach Eusebio De Francesco felt the result was harsh on his side but saw positive signs in the performance.

“We allowed Milan a period where they definitely did better than us, but in the second half the team has grown and we were able to change.

“It was too bad about the late goal because there was naivety in our decisions.”

The result leaves Roma with only one win from their opening three matches, but Fazio said there was no need to panic.

“We have to analyse things with clear heads,” he said. “We now have two weeks until the next game, and then the Champions League starts and there will be lots of games.

“As I said, I know the ability that every player in this squad has and that if we work hard we will get a lot better.

“Physically it’s hard to know [whether we can improve], the season is long and so far we have only played three games – so it’s hard to say how we are doing from a fitness perspective. But perhaps we lack a bit of cohesion, we need to be more united out on the pitch.”