Luciano Spalletti will “fully appreciate” his first Milan Derby for Inter, warning “this is the game. We must ensure we are ready and go beyond our limitations.”
It kicks off on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“I had the privilege of experiencing the Rome Derby and now I will fully appreciate the Derby della Madonnina,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
Luciano Spalletti will “fully appreciate” his first Milan Derby for Inter, warning “this is the game. We must ensure we are ready and go beyond our limitations.”
It kicks off on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“I had the privilege of experiencing the Rome Derby and now I will fully appreciate the Derby della Madonnina,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“I appreciate Vincenzo Montella, his style of working and his general approach to life. We are friends, former teammates, he was my player and we’re colleagues. I agree with him that the current seven-point gap between Inter and Milan isn’t an accurate reflection, but that’s not our fault!
“Having a strong defence is an important quality, but it’s not fair to say we’ve been lucky. People remember the times we were saved by the woodwork, but not the times we were denied by the frame of the goal.
“I think it’s the team that makes the difference, not an individual. We are working hard on this group dynamic, remembering it’s the group that defends, the group that creates a goal and the group that attacks.”
Marcelo Brozovic is out injured, so Joao Mario is expected to take the trequartista role behind Mauro Icardi, flanked by Ivan Perisic and Antonio Candreva.
“These things happen after international duty and players always go beyond the rational to give more for their country. Brozovic is an important player, aside from his good form and the two goals he scored against Benevento.
“The final objective can only be achieved if we create lots of small daily objectives and we need to drill that into the players. It is the sum of those small daily objectives that creates success, it is the group that gives success and not any individual player, no matter who he is and how many goals he has scored in the past.
“The club has done well, the medical staff and nutritionists, all at the disposal of the players behind the scenes to put them in a condition to give their best. This is a group of professionals that understands when important moments come along. Our season will be measured based on those moments.
“The players know the derby is extremely important and we must go beyond our limitations, beyond the maximum setting. There are no alibis. I expect my players to put that into practice. This is the game, we must ensure we are ready.
“Having said that, there is a notable opponent in front of us, but Inter have a history and quality that is every bit as important.”