On the eve of the clash between Atalanta and AC Milan, Stefano Pioli spoke to the media at the usual press conference (via MilanNews.it). Although the Rossoneri are underdogs, they will be hoping to claim all three points.
After two consecutive wins in the league, Pioli’s men failed to break the deadlock against Sassuolo last time out. Considering the number of chances they had, it was certainly disappointing.
Now, they will have the chance to finish on a strong note ahead of the Christmas break. Then again, Atalanta are no easy opponent, especially on their home turf. A tough task for the Rossoneri manager, in other words.
“The holidays don’t exist. All the games are important, we must have the right concentration to face tomorrow’s game, there can’t be any other thoughts. The league table is poor, the performances are good but we still need performance and points.
“We have an idea of the game, but it can’t be a definitive one yet. Gasperini has built Atalanta over several seasons, to reach maximum potential there is still a lot to do, but we have our way of being on the pitch and our identity,” he began.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the Piatek-Leao duel for the starting spot up front. Coming off the bench and hitting the woodwork twice, you would think that Leao is in a good position, but it looks like Piatek will start again.
“Piatek or Leao? If I need a focal point up front, I will choose Kris. if I need a bit of movement, I will choose Leao. We had to win against Sassuolo, I want to see the determination to recover the lost points.
“The absence of Theo? Rodriguez is fine, he has always trained well, he’s a great professional. We don’t have another full-back like Theo, we will have to have accelerations with other players in other positions on the pitch.”
“The market? It will last too long, no AC Milan player will be allowed to think about it. If I see a player who isn’t very determined, he certainly won’t be called up.
“Bennacer? Right now, his position is regista. He’s one of the players who can grow the most. In that role, reading the play is fundamental. He’s a guy who has great motivation and desire to improve, his role is this, I expect significant growth,” he concluded.
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