Stefano Pioli wants to see a ‘determined’ Milan in the trip to Lecce and assures it is too early to look at the Serie A table when we reach the midway stage of the season.
It kicks off at the Stadio Via del Mare at 17.00 GMT.
Following the 2-2 draw with Roma, which had seen them leading 2-0 at San Siro until the final minutes, and the shock Coppa Italia Round of 16 exit to 10-man Torino, Pioli ordered the whole squad into a training retreat at the Milanello camp. Did that help calm the team?
“I hope that the team is more determined than calm, as that’s what we need today. Lecce are in good shape and we are coming off two games where we didn’t pick up the results we deserved or wanted,” Pioli told DAZN.
This is the build-up to Wednesday’s massive Derby della Madonnina with rivals Inter in Riyadh, as the Serie A holders and Coppa Italia winners go head-to-head for the Supercoppa Italiana.
“It is the most important game, as it can help us climb the table, and the Supercoppa is in four days, there is time to recover and make different choices. We are focused only on Lecce.”
Napoli demolished Juventus 5-1 last night and could reach the halfway stage of the season with a 10-point advantage if Milan fail to get the victory today.
“We mustn’t look at the table now. We need to raise our own level and continue to improve so we can win as many games as possible. It’s too reductive to see it in terms of the table when there’s half a season to go.”