AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli hailed their character for victory over Genoa.

A late Christian Pulisic winner proved the difference, though there was also the drama of Olivier Giroud going in goal after Mike Maignan's dismissal.

“It never happened before, it was Christian Pulisic who wanted to go in goal and we told him he was too short, so Oli got the job," Pioli told Sky Italia.

“A lot of strange things happened during the match, we knew it would be difficult, but we held out well. This is a victory of mentality, character, strength and I am very satisfied with my players.

“We had five away games in eight, so being in this position makes us very happy. We know that there are many things we can and must do better.

“It is too early to look at the table, there will be three or four teams fighting for the Scudetto, but this result is important for self-esteem after a tough run of fixtures. Just three days after the Champions League tie against a team in very good shape, it is remarkable to be able to put in a performance of this intensity and desire. Admittedly, it wasn't the best on a technical level, but we believed to the end."

He added: "The week after the break for international duty will be even tougher, as we have Juve, PSG and Napoli. We will lose at least two of our players against Juve, as Theo Hernandez and Maignan will be suspended."