AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has confirmed that Yunus Musah will start against Atalanta, previewing a tactically challenging game in Bergamo.
Spirits are high after Milan won their last three games across three competitions against Slovan Bratislava, Empoli and Sassuolo. They scored 12 goals in the process including six in the most recent victory, allowing three.
However, Atalanta are a completely different test with respect to the aforementioned sides. Since the start of October they have won eight on the spin to rise into second, while they are also fifth in the Champions League.
The results speak for themselves: 5-1 against Genoa, 6-1 against Verona, 3-0 against Napoli away from home and most recently a 2-0 win at Roma. If the Rossoneri are to get a result, they will have to raise their game again.
Fonseca spoke to the reporters who gathered at Milanello for his pre-match press conference on the eve of the game. MilanNews transcribed the questions and his responses.
Atalanta are coming up, and everyone considers it an ‘uncomfortable’ match. But it is probably Milan’s best moment since you arrived, too…
“I think it’s never a good time to face Atalanta (laughs). Yes, we’re growing, the team is confident. We know that facing them is always difficult, 8 wins in the last 8 games, they’ve scored 26 goals and conceded only 4.
“They’re a very strong team. It will be a very difficult match but we’re ready, we’re confident to play against Atalanta.”
Are Milan a team less in trouble and less apprehensive?
“I agree. I think this comes a lot from the way they defends as a team, it brings confidence and stability. 3-4 games ago you could feel some defensive discouragement, today not. Today I think the team are comfortable defensively. This then brings confidence to attack.”
To a foreign coach like yourself, what do Atalanta respresent?
“We haven’t seen a team play like this, man to man, for a long time. Football is like life: cyclical. Gasperini was a pioneer in playing like this. Now everyone in Europe is aware that it is difficult to face teams like Atalanta.
“There are many teams that follow the same model as Atalanta. The other day I was looking at an article written in Germany, there are many teams that play like this now.
“Bayern plays like this, Stuttgart too… They followed the ideas of Atalanta and Gasperini. Their way of playing is a point of reference at an international level.”
Is this a decisive match to find the real turning point in this season?
“I think the team doesn’t need this match to be aware of what they are doing. It’s an important match but not decisive for me. It can bring many positive things to the team. Winning against Atalanta would bring confidence for the future.”
Is it a crash test of sorts for the defensive phase?
“The team is confident in the defensive moment now. It’s a great test, Atalanta are really strong offensively. They create a lot. It will be a good test for us, not only for the defensive line but for how the whole team defends.”
Milan will face off against Charles De Ketelaere again…
“Maybe he’s adapted more to a different way of playing. But I don’t want to talk about the Atalanta players, I think their most important thing is the collective. And they are very strong.”
Do you define yourself as a modern, innovative coach who knows how to surprise? How are you fitting into this reality in Italy?
“I don’t like to talk about myself. You have to talk about me. What I can say is that I feel very very good in Italy, it’s very stimulating for a foreign coach. Here it’s different, it’s more stimulating to be here and find a different way of seeing things.
“Serie A is clearly different for me. In the past few days I was talking to my staff and I was saying that only by being here can you understand how different it is. Coaches who aren’t here don’t have the exact idea of what Serie A is like and what it brings to a coach.
“Winning here is very very difficult. The big European teams now have the chance to face Italian teams. Let’s look at the results. How are they doing? So think about facing Italian teams every week. It’s difficult.”
What’s so difficult?
“The way many teams defend here is different. I’m 100% sure that facing a team that plays man-to-man is more difficult than facing a team that plays zonal.
“Then there’s the physicality, the way of defending. Finding space here in Italy is not easy. If you talk about intensity, England is more intense but here it’s different.”
Is tomorrow’s match the most tactically difficult for Milan this season? Do you plan to use Musah on the right again?
“Yes, Musah will play tomorrow. I think we have prepared well for the match. The match will be tactical. It is very easy to understand how Atalanta plays. It is easy to say that they do this, this and this.
“But it is difficult to counter them, because they do it very well. Offensively and defensively. But I think we are prepared to play against Atalanta.”
Is a draw a good result tomorrow?
“I always think about winning, I don’t think about this possibility. Before the matches in my head I only have one result: to win. I don’t want to think about other results.”
Which Atalanta game did you show the team?
“None. I showed situations and images.”
Pep Guardiola said that facing Atalanta is like going to the dentist…
“I understand perfectly what Pep said. It’s really a game of sacrifice, commitment, attitude. He says that because maybe he goes to the dentist once a year. But here (in Italy) I go to the dentist every week, it’s normal. Empoli, maybe they have different quality, but the way they play is the same.”
You have never won against Gasperini. Is there a desire for revenge?
“I have no special desire to beat Gasperini. I am the first to say that he is unique. We must recognise the work he is doing, it is great. I have great admiration for Gasperini, there is nothing personal.
“I want to win tomorrow like all the other matches, I have nothing personal to prove. We must all recognise the merit of others, I recognise the merit of Gasperini.”
We are getting the impression of a changed Leao. Are you satisfied are you with his growth in attitude? Have you figured out how to stimulate him?
“It’s the reality, it’s not an impression. I think Rafa still has room to improve. He’s done well in the last matches, also in terms of defensive attitude. Am I totally satisfied? No. He has the ability to do better. Rafa’s head must be set on doing better.
“He’s scored 5 goals, he must have in his head to score 20. When we have the ability we must expect a lot from ourselves. He must be ambitious to always do better. He’s on the right path but he must not stop now.”
Is Chukwueze growing defensively too?
“Two games ago I remember I spoke about Chukwu. He is adapting well. When we need this role on the right he is progressing. There is no problem with him. Do we think he is stronger defensively than Musah? No. But he can play this role in some games.”
Do Milan have to impose their playing principles on others to be considered great?
“The games today are very strategic. We don’t change the principles of the game. We are not a man-to-man team, I won’t play like that against Atalanta. But we can make some strategic adjustments.
“We want to have this attacking initiative against all teams, but the game against Atalanta is not a game in which teams can have great attacking initiative. Where will this game be decided? It is not near the Atalanta goal.”
What has satisfied you the most about your work at Milan so far? What is the thing that still doesn’t satisfy you?
“There are many things that leave me satisfied at the moment. You see the growth of the players, it is very important to me. I want to win, I want titles. But watching the people who work with me grow is the thing that gives me the most pleasure.
“I have players who give me this pleasure. After that, being coach of Milan is something that every day I think is a privilege. The things that I am not totally satisfied with I cannot say (smiles).
“Then there are the things on an individual level and on a collective level, but I do not want to say them. But they are there. If one day I get there then I will come here and I can say it. But today I am still a little far from what I would like.”
Can you give us a little injury update? How are Bennacer, Loftus, Sportiello?
“Bennacer is more handsome, he changed his haircut (laughs). Physically he is fine, it was a pleasure to see him again. We are satisfied.
“He needs some time to work in the team, I think he is in the final part of the work before starting with the group. The others, even Sportiello and Loftus, are all fine.”
I’m worried about Atalanta’s preciseness in passing. They’re clinical. They can carve teams out especially on the counter…where we’re most susceptible defensively. Gonna be a nervous one. We got to be very careful
If I’m being honest I don’t expect much i want to believe but atalanta are impossible to break down
I appreciate that he seems fully aware that this will be a game won on sacrifice, precision and maybe a fortunate bounce. Musah for me is the right choice, already at Salads level 🤣 but in seriousness he’s fast and can sprint for 90 minutes which will be helpful. I don’t think Atalanta are infallible though. I only saw the Stuttgart match and that game could easily have been a draw. I think Milan can generate chances but they won’t be plentiful so taking advantage of them will be key.