Stefano Pioli expects a good response from his Milan squad in tomorrow’s crucial Champions League clash against RB Salzburg.
The Rossoneri can book their spot in the knock-out stages of the competition with a positive result against third place Salzburg tomorrow, making it one of the most important matches of the season for Pioli and his squad. Milan suffered a frustrating 2-1 loss to Torino on the weekend, a game they’ll be hoping to put behind them with a strong result against RB Salzburg.
Speaking in a press conference, Pioli first discussed if winning against RB Salzburg would count as redemption for the losses to Chelsea and Torino.
“It would mean a lot, it is our goal for the season and we have earned this chance. The team knows how to handle these big commitments, we have played important and heavy matches.
“We are disappointed for Sunday, but as Tonali said, there is only great concentration for tomorrow’s game.”
He confirmed that the squad were not aiming to secure a draw.
“We are not capable of thinking about going on the pitch saving energy and with an attitude of waiting.
“We are inclined to attack and we must do it well, with compactness and balance. Salzburg can be dangerous on the counter, but we must play as we know how.”
The Italian coach spoke about what his players said after his contract renewal was announced.
“I marked who congratulated me and who didn’t! I am very happy with this renewal, I thanked the directors and the players, because without them this would not have been possible. This is a moment to show that the path we have taken makes us grow. We are very keen to progress.”
Pioli discussed the work of Rafael Leao and the reaction from the loss to Torino.
“I saw him well, smiling and focused. It was quite easy to analyse tomorrow’s game. If our opponents expect us to repeat the Torino game they will be disappointed.”
He touched on the timing of his contract renewal and how it felt.
“I really appreciated this. The club could have extended my contract by a year, but they did it with a longer time frame.
“It is a sign of our vision, of our collaboration, to try to make Milan bigger and bigger. I really appreciated the renewal and I can only thank the owners. I have always felt esteemed and appreciated.”
Finally, Pioli discussed the ability of his squad to bounce back from defeats.
“Because we are a strong team, we have values and a lot of motivation. We know the difficulties of the match. Salzburg have never lost away from home. We have strong players and we play this match in front of our fans, I can tell you that we have all the right cards to do well.”
I think it is best to concentrate on delivering rather than telling what the opponent what they are or aren’t or to expect. Best to be humble.
Milan are going to repeat the Chelsea game instead.