Stefano Pioli outlines why Milan have hit form as they push Juventus for second place and comments on his future. ‘It is uncertain for everybody.’
This was a third consecutive victory for the Rossoneri, but again a far from convincing one, as the deflected Christian Pulisic strike proved enough to see off Empoli.
It follows on from a late 1-0 win over eight-man Lazio and difficult 4-2 Europa League tie against 10-man Slavia Praha.
“We played the game we needed to. It was a very good first half, if we had converted more of our chances, then we wouldn’t have suffered so much in the second. We weren’t that sharp, naturally, but we controlled the match pretty well,” Pioli told DAZN.
“If we had been able to double our lead, it would’ve been simpler, but we worked hard with players who were on the pitch only two days ago.
“This is a very important week for our season, so starting it well with a victory and a good performance is positive.”
Pulisic is finding the form of his career at Milan in this debut Serie A season with 10 goals already.
“Christian did not play so much in the last seven or eight years, I think we are getting the best out of him. He is a great player, very intelligent and a good lad.”
The 4-2 win over Slavia Praha is not a guarantee of qualification going into the second leg on Thursday, but Pioli insists he will not try to just defend that two-goal cushion.
“Defensive solidity is important, but if you look at the Europa League results from the last round, there were hardly any clean sheets. There are more spaces, so keeping a clean sheet is good, but the main push will be for us to score more goals than our opponents.”
Noah Okafor stood in for suspended Rafael Leao today against Empoli and Pioli reveals there was a change of plan forced by Davide Nicola’s tactics.
“We had hoped for Theo Hernandez to push up more and move Okafor central, but once we saw that Gyasi was chasing him, we preferred to change plan. Okafor really worked for the team and was ready when called upon.”
This result allows Milan to at least temporarily take second place, meaning Juventus now need to beat Atalanta in Turin this evening to recapture that prestigious spot.
“Due to injuries, we had a difficult period where we struggled to keep going, especially in the Champions League. We also made a few changes during the year, Bennacer was out for months, there were a lot of new midfielders, and it took us a while to get to know each other.”
Milan President Paolo Scaroni said before kick-off that the on-going speculation around Pioli’s future is purely a media firestorm, so what does the coach think?
“I don’t know, you’re the ones who ask the questions. All I can say is the club is helping me work to the best of my abilities and the squad is behind me. The future is uncertain for everybody in life, let alone the coach of a big club.
“We are all concentrated on the present, the next match and how the season will end, as that is what matters the most.
“What I am experiencing here at Milan is exceptional. I am giving my all, I received a great deal too, including criticism, but that is normal. I motivated to make this experience last as long as possible.”