Hakan Calhanoglu stands by Milan Coach Vincenzo Montella and his “philosophy,” but warns Roma represents “a fundamental game.”
It kicks off on Sunday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“I already faced Roma in the Champions League and they have a lot of quality in the side,” said the former Bayer Leverkusen creative midfielder.
Hakan Calhanoglu stands by Milan Coach Vincenzo Montella and his “philosophy,” but warns Roma represents “a fundamental game.”
It kicks off on Sunday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“I already faced Roma in the Champions League and they have a lot of quality in the side,” said the former Bayer Leverkusen creative midfielder.
“It’ll be a wonderful match and we’ll try to fight them on level terms. Edin Dzeko is a great striker and very intelligent, but I have faith in our defenders. We know it won’t be easy, but we’ll give it our best.
“All the big clubs want to get into Europe, so it’s not just Milan or Roma, but also Juventus, Napoli, Inter and Lazio.”
The Rossoneri have lost two out of six Serie A games, then squeezed past Croatians Rijeka 3-2 with a last-gasp Patrick Cutrone goal on Thursday.
“It was important for us to win in the Europa League so we’d build up to Roma with a positive result and consolidate our status on top of the group,” continued Calhanoglu.
“The Roma game will be fundamental for our season. Every victory is a morale booster. We’ve played well this term, except for against Lazio and Sampdoria, but we must forget those now and focus 100 per cent on Roma.”
The setbacks have put Coach Montella under pressure and there are reports Carlo Ancelotti or Marcello Lippi have been contacted as potential replacements.
“Montella always speaks to the squad and motivates us every day. We know that we must fight with heart and be more of a team with each passing day.
“When it comes to the language barrier, I get help from Riccardo Montolivo (whose mother is German, ndr) and Ricardo Rodriguez, but soon I’ll be able to understand everything without assistance.
“I agree with Montella’s decisions and philosophy. As a team we are getting to know each other and taking it one step at a time. It’s too early to judge now.”