It's been non-stop at Milanello and, following AC Milan v Genoa on Friday, we're getting in the mood for a derby in the Coppa Italia. Stefano Pioli had his say on Inter v AC Milan - the second leg of the semi-final - on Tuesday 19 April at 21:00 CEST at San Siro:
LUNCH TOGETHER AT EASTER
"We rely entirely on teamwork. The more united you are, the more willingness there is to sacrifice yourself for your teammates. We enjoyed a fantastic day together and took the opportunity to be together with our families and the Club, which always supports us."
INJURY SITUATION
"We’ll see about Calabria and Romagnoli today. Davide should be involved in training. Alessio hasn’t yet worked with the team, but today’s session will be decisive for him too. Gabbia had fatigue after the match against Genoa but is feeling fine and will be part of the squad tomorrow."
POSITIVE ENERGY
"From now until the end, we need to try and win all our matches. The team are very focused and motivated, and positive energy must accompany us."
DERBY
"We know very well what we need to do in the league, and I don’t think tomorrow’s derby will be decisive in this regard. We need to try and win all our Serie A games, regardless of what happens in the Coppa Italia. All of our past experiences have allowed us to become a team with more awareness. Every single one of our matches against Inter have been difficult, and the details will make the difference tomorrow."
REBIĆ’S FORM
"Ante is feeling fine and possesses the qualities to be decisive, but every player needs to take to the pitch with the mentality that every ball could be the most important one."
WHAT KIND OF GAME WILL IT BE?
"We’ll have to interpret it well, and the details will be decisive. During the match, there will be moments where we need to put our foot on the pedal and others where we need to slow down. Inter can be dangerous when given space, and we need to manage the ball as best we can."
DEFENSIVE SOLIDITY
"Not conceding is important. I’m a bit surprised because we’re a team that takes a few risks in our defending, but the whole team have grown in a significant way. Tomorrow evening, we need to reach high standards when it comes to our application, intensity and focus."
AWAY GOALS
"Our attitude against Inter has always been very consistent, even if it’s difficult to prevent them from creating dangerous situations. They take up positions that will force us to do a lot of running, but we have a strategy that we’ll try to implement as best we can."
POSSIBLE SELECTIONS
"When it comes to the defensive side of things, and with Inter’s qualities in mind, I think it’s important to cover the area that Brozović operates in. Therefore, it’s more likely that either Kessie or Krunić will play there rather than Díaz. A coach is lucky when they have intelligent players like Rade, but he’s not the only one. If you pay attention in training, you know what you need to do in each role. He can play in any position and will be useful for us tomorrow night."
HERNÁNDEZ AND SAELEMAEKERS
"Theo has some great qualities but needs to try to lose the ball less when he takes it forward. Alexis at full-back isn’t a solution from the start, but it’s an option during matches."
(Photo LaPresse)
www.acmilan.com
Source: legaseriea.it