Mihajlovic not surprised by Niang form

Sinisa Mihajlovic has stressed M'Baye Niang's man-of-the-match performance for AC Milan in their 4-1 win over Sampdoria on Saturday did not surprise him.

The Frenchman scored twice and created another to lead his side and Mihajlovic believes the attacker just showed what he is really capable of.

"Niang picked up an injury in pre-season when he was one of the best performers," Mihajlovic said at a news conference.

"He is now getting back to full fitness, but his performances are not a surprise. Rather, he is simply showing once more what he is capable of."

Saturday's win saw Milan return to winning ways after a draw against Atalanta and a defeat to Juventus and Mihajlovic was over the moon to bag the full three points again.

"It was a great night for us. We have confidence in our methods and we will experience more nights like this I am sure," he added.

"Our aim in recent weeks was to find a greater balance in the team’s set-up. After the Napoli game, we worked on tightening up at the back and now with more forwards available we have more options in attack.

"With two wide men and two forwards we were more compact, but it was the hard work from everyone, and in particular the wide men, that made a difference.

"After two, three difficult years for the club, it’s not easy but we’re getting there. These results allow us to look forwards with confidence. The criticisms are part and parcel of the game. We have to keep in this path. We know that this is just one match and there is a long way to go."