Oliver Bierhoff has urged AC Milan to believe they can chase down Inter, given that his side did so in a Scudetto battle against Lazio.
In truth, the title race would have been all over bar the shouting had Milan not won the derby on Sunday night thanks to Pervis Estupinan’s goal in the first half. That cut the gap between the two sides to seven points, but it will still be a very tall order with 10 games to go.
The feeling is that the next few weeks will tell us if it can become a proper battle again. The Nerazzurri are out of the Champions League but have a Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, while before that they face Atalanta, Fiorentina, Roma and Como.
Bierhoff gave a long interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport in which he spoke about Sunday’s derby and what it could mean in the title fight moving forward, as well as making comments on some individuals.
Your Milan came back against Lazio. How?
“We always believed in ourselves, managing to put together a great streak of victories. No one was calculating, we were focused on ourselves, on getting as many points as possible. We knew that by giving our all, Lazio would eventually slip up.
“In the second-to-last game, we played against Empoli at home, and when the news broke that Fiorentina had the lead against the Biancocelesti, the roar of the San Siro gave us an unstoppable boost: I scored three goals in half an hour and we won 4-0. We were top of the table.”
What was the turning point in that season?
“It was definitely the transition from the three-man attack to the attacking midfielder behind the two strikers. Zac showed great intelligence by changing his ideas and adapting more to the characteristics of the squad. Boban went behind me and Weah was fundamental.”
Who reminds you of Boban in this team?
“Everything has changed now, impossible to make comparisons. For Zvone’s importance on the pitch and in the group, I’d say Modric.”
Talk to us about Modric…
“I was convinced he would prove he’d still be a champion at Milan. What amazes me most is his pace. On Sunday, he received a yellow card for protesting, committing a foul in a rush to win the ball back near the opponent’s penalty area.
“He should have broken up the pace of the match in that stormy finale. It’s right that he stays at Milan, for their own good. There’s no other Modric around.”
Allegri keeps talking about the top four…
“Allegri is right when he keeps talking about the Champions League; that must be the primary objective now. It’s right to keep the team focused on a short-term objective .”
Is there a fair comparison between Albertini and Rabiot?
“With Albertini, you were at peace: he read the game like few others. Rabiot is impressive: a midfielder with technique, physique, an eye for goal, and a willingness to sacrifice himself. In the derby, he took a lot of knocks, but they didn’t stop him.”
What about Leao and Pulisic?
“The goals will come for them too, you’ll see. I’m sure my compatriot Fullkrug will score too. He’s a good guy and his skills will be useful.”
How do Milan look to you?
“The derby showed a motivated, confident team. They held firm despite dropping back too much in the second half. Even though they had Inter ahead, the message was clear: we know how to suffer.”
What are the dangers?
“The anxiety of having to recover. Sometimes, when you can’t afford to fail, there’s always a bit of extra tension. The coach and the team, however, have the experience to deal with these situations.”
