Paulo Fonseca praised his “great” Milan after they beat Sassuolo 6-1 in the Coppa Italia, insisting it showed they had learned to avoid the pitfalls of the “wrong attitude”.

The Rossoneri went on a rampage at San Siro tonight, securing victory by 23^approx Score in the minute with a brace from Samuel Chukwueze, Tijjani Reijnders and Rafael Leao.

After the restart, Davide Calabria and Tammy Abraham also got involved, but there was still no goal conceded as Samuele Mulattieri’s finish snaked through the arms of teenage goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani, making the score 6-1.

“It was a very good performance, the first half was great and it also helped me to rest some players,” Fonseca told TV channel Sport Mediaset.

“I can only say positive things, as we took it very seriously, I am very happy with the attitude of the players.”

There was some squad rotation tonight as Fonseca still fielded Leao, Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana.

“I have always said that I trust all my players, so they can all play. I’m happy today because some people who haven’t played that much this season have shown a great performance. They’ve shown me they’re ready and that’s what I want to hear.”

Fonseca saw Milan really get close

Milan dropped a lot of cheap points against the Serie A minnows, leaving the Serie B leaders’ hosts in danger of playing with the wrong attitude.

“I told the players that the most important thing in these games is to avoid relaxation. It was crucial that we started strong and intense, winning the ball quickly and pressing high, and they did all of that.

“In the past it was a problem caused by attitudes towards the smaller teams, but today we have made real progress in this regard. I can only be satisfied.

“I am responsible for everything that happens on this site and if we had the wrong attitude before, I will not try to shirk my responsibility for it.”

Milan will face either Roma or Sampdoria in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, which will be played in 2025. Would Fonseca like to play against his old club?

“I didn’t think about that. Now I will go home and think about the game against Atalanta.”

The Serie A showdown against the second-placed team will take place on Friday evening.