Carlos Bacca dreams of a rabona in the Milan Derby and admits he’s been surprised by Serie A. “It’s so competitive.”
The Rossoneri face arch rivals Inter on Sunday at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“Every child imagines the goal he would love to score,” the Colombian told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Carlos Bacca dreams of a rabona in the Milan Derby and admits he’s been surprised by Serie A. “It’s so competitive.”
The Rossoneri face arch rivals Inter on Sunday at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“Every child imagines the goal he would love to score,” the Colombian told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Some want to net from midfield, some with an overhead kick. I always wanted to score with a rabona. I tried it in every team, but until a few days ago I’d never managed it successfully in an official game.
“That is until Milan-Carpi. I know Sinisa Mihajlovic told me off for the rabona against Palermo, but in the Coppa Italia I was sure that I’d score and what’s more it was the quickest way to anticipate the defenders.
“I am happy to have crowned this dream with Milan. It was a joy that I’d been holding within myself since childhood.”
The rabona – crossing the legs to strike the ball with the back foot – can go horribly wrong, but Bacca has a taste for it now. What would a rabona in the Milan Derby be like?
“It’d be wonderful and if I get the chance then I’ll try. The most important thing is to score and win, it doesn’t matter how.
“Milan have been improving lately and we now have this derby with Inter. We lost the first one in September, but each derby is like a Final: you just have to win.
“I hear that Inter are not in good shape at the moment, but these are unique games that escape the usual logic of a campaign. In order to get three points we must above all have a winning mentality, a sense of responsibility, hunger, hard work and concentration.
“We have to find the right mentality to play it to the death. I have an extra motivation too, as it’s my daughter’s birthday on Sunday. I’d love to give her a goal as a gift.”
Ex-Sevilla striker Bacca has been a clinical marksman at Milan, scoring with 69 per cent of his shots on goal.
“Serie A is a very tactical and physical league, but I think I adapted well and I’m happy with my performances so far. Every time I step on to the field, I feel more at home in Italian football. I hope to score more goals and above all push Milan as far up the table as possible. I want to give this team my best.
“There’s a big difference between how I was at the start and now, because I worked hard on tactics so I could learn to help in defence and make the movements requested by the Coach. It’s different in Spain. Serie A is even more competitive than I thought. In Spain you know from the start who’ll fight for the title, but not here.
“There’s also a lot of technique here. I was most surprised by the quality of some players who aren’t that well known because they aren’t in the big clubs. There’s a lot more to Serie A than tactics.
“I watched Serie A on TV in Colombia and I’d study Ronaldo. Milan had great strikers and I hope to prove I am worthy of wearing the same jersey.”