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Milan see hope as Málaga forge onward

AC Milan saw hope after a 1-1 Group C draw against Málaga CF, whose midfielder Manuel Iturra told UEFA.com: "We are very happy because we can celebrate qualification."

Milan see hope as Málaga forge onward
Milan see hope as Málaga forge onward ©UEFA.com

Málaga CF may have lost their first points and conceded their first goal in Group C but the 1-1 draw at AC Milan is a special as their first three victories in the section as it means qualification with two games to spare for the Spanish debutants. "We had to work hard for this point," midfielder Manuel Iturra told UEFA.com after the game. Meanwhile Man of the Match Bojan Krkić told UEFA.com Milan cannot be satisfied with the draw but remain positive ahead of the two remaining games in the group.

Bojan Krkić, Milan forward
It's a pity because we deserved to win in many phases of the game. However, Málaga have some great players. We cannot consider this draw to be a good result but at least it keeps us in a good position in the group and now we have to win the next two games.

I like this playing system as I can play just behind the striker, but I think the whole team is doing a great work. We just needed to score another goal tonight. I think we just have to win the next game. We are second and qualification is in our hands. We have to believe that we can do it and that we are a good side. Are Zenit or Anderlecht more dangerous? If we are in good form, we can win the last two games.

Kévin Constant, Milan defender
Their goal was a big blow for us because we were playing better than them but we remained united and in the second half we managed to equalise. We had a lot of shots on goal but unfortunately we only scored once. However, the most important thing is that our spirit was very good – we fought hard together and that's important for the team. I like to play as a left-back. I made the decisive cross but I also missed my man when they scored, so I have to keep working hard and stay more focused to avoid these kinds of mistakes.

Manuel Iturra, Málaga midfielder
We are very happy because we can celebrate qualification after an away game against a side with great history. We wanted to win but the point is good because it allowed us to qualify with two games to spare. We came here to win but we were up against a great team who were better than us for spells when they had us penned inside our box. We had to work hard for this point.

First place in the group is an objective we have to keep in our minds because, in theory, when you finished first you face a team who should be less difficult in the next phase. We are going to carry on with the same mentality, which means trying to win every game we play.

Isco, Málaga midfielder
It was a good draw because it means qualification for us, so we are all very happy. And I'm very happy for my assist – I managed to pick out Eliseu's run and he was good enough to supply the final touch. We are glad to have earned a point in a stadium like San Siro. Qualification was well deserved but now we have to keep working hard.

We have done well in this competition – we were impressive in the four games we played and as I said we deserved to qualify. It's difficult to say how far we can go but we are taking it step by step and we have nothing to lose. Let's see what happens. It's important to finish first in the group and we will try to win the next game to do so.

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