Ahead of their game against Bologna last night, Unai Emery had a lot of praise for AC Milan, referencing them and their influence on Italian football.
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It is nothing new for coaches to watch several games ahead of facing their opposition, especially in Europe. Indeed, preparation is key and you need to find weaknesses in the different styles that they face.
Domestically, you have a vague idea of how most teams will play, playing the same teams at least twice per season.
However, that luxury is not present when playing teams from abroad, given you rarely play the same team twice in the space of a couple of years, let alone a season.
Emery’s admission
To prepare for his side’s game against Bologna, Emery took the time to analyse a few of the Rossoblu’s rivals in Serie A, and he told Sky who he focused on, via MilanPress.
“The Italian championship is very nice and difficult, with excellent coaches and very strong teams. For circumstances that I cannot know, the Italian national team is not making, however, at the club level, I have a lot of respect for Italy.
“I also like how the football of the Italian teams is evolving. Now in Italy there are two tactical tendencies. The winning ‘5-3-2’ of Inter and now also of Allegri’s Milan. And then there are the teams that exploit a lot one-on-one, with many duels, as the Gasperini and Italiano teams do, a football that attracts me a lot and pushes me to grow, to understand the reasons.”
Considering the Villains won easily last night, it is safe to say that his pre-game work paid off, maybe he’ll send a thank you to Massimiliano Allegri. However, he could not achieve the same scoreline as his Italian opposite.