AC Milan will take on Napoli in their second leg of the Champions League quarter-final clash tomorrow, hoping to be as composed as they were in the last two meetings.
According to MilanNews, there are no doubts swirling about the formation or the starting line-up as it will almost certainly be a 4-2-3-1 with Maignan in goal, Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori and Theo Hernandez in defence, Krunic and Tonali in the midfield, Leao on the left, Brahim Diaz on the right and Bennacer behind Giroud.
There is absolute clarity regarding the objective at the Maradona to: Milan want to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League at all costs, as demonstrated by the 10 changes to the XI by Pioli on Saturday in Bologna.
Alessandro Florenzi spoke after the game on Saturday about how the team often seem a bit limp before big games, something that should be a worry given it might be perceived as a lack of attention, yet instead it seems to be a strength.
“I’ve never had a group that tackles games like this. Last year we won the Scudetto and, before the important games, especially the last ones, inside the dressing room I saw – I was used to charging myself – a limp team,” he said.
“And I said to myself: ‘Am I making a mistake? Is it their attitude? in the first leg against Napoli and I hope to find the same again in Naples. For me they were limp, eh, but then they showed the opposite.”
Many of the Rossoneri players are calm, reserved and serene. They prefer to gather their thoughts by themselves and the desire to demonstrate – perhaps without wasting energy with attitudes visible on the outside – comes from within.
Concentration and determination are key, as the Scudetto race last year proved as well as the two legs against Spurs and the first leg against Napoli. Calm and composure will be needed tomorrow too.
what is the baddest preperation for a match? a poor performance the game before, but maybe they didn’t know that in Milano 😉