Stefano Pioli assures he does not feel the pressure and reveals what he told Milan players before their Champions League quarter-final against Napoli. ‘We only feel pride.’
It kicks off at the Stadio Meazza at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
These teams met only 10 days ago in Serie A on Neapolitan soil, the Rossoneri emerging 4-0 winners, but this is a different tournament and the second leg will be at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 18.
“I see a great game with many exciting moments and we’ll try to interpret it in the best way,” Pioli told Amazon Prime Italia.
Having won the Scudetto for the first time last season, is this the most important game of his career?
“I won’t feel the pressure, no, only the pride of being here. We represent a great club that has made history in this competition and we will try to honour it.”
The 4-0 victory in Naples on April 2 felt like the perfect performance for Milan, though the coach disagrees.
“The perfect game does not exist, anyone who plays football will make mistakes. We need to play at a high level, certainly, and know a single incident can change the game.”
What did Pioli tell the players before this match at the packed out Stadio Meazza?
“To play with clear minds and strong heart. The lads know full well what we did to get here. The approach, the determination, the energy that we put onto the pitch will certainly be at the right level.”