On the eve of the game between Juventus and AC Milan at Allianz Stadium, Stefano Pioli spoke to the media at Milanello, answering their questions about the Rossoneri. Reporters from MilanNews.it were present to gather his words.
After a very slow start to the season, the manager is looking for solutions to turn the situation around. When asked about the formation, he more or less confirmed that they will switch to a three-man backline, as it will give them more ‘advantages’.
“Three-man defence? I base my choices on advantages. We used it in the second half against Lazio. We have to be aggressive, Juventus always makes the right choices. I don’t think there’s one formation that’s better than another,” he began.
Pioli also spoke about the game in general, which certainly won’t be easy. However, he believes that they can get something out of the game, although it will require ‘more technical precision and fewer errors’.
“I trust my players. All games start at 0-0, we will face the strongest team in Italy and one of the strongest in Europe. With more technical precision and fewer errors, we can find ourselves favourable situations.
“Doing well tomorrow would mean a lot. It’s a very difficult game but we have to be ready to fight and never give up. Juventus have a complete team, but they also have weaknesses. It’s a great challenge and an opportunity,” he continued.
As mentioned, a change in formation is expected. To find out which players will play from start, make sure to take a look at Gazzetta Dello Sport’s probable line-up. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 (Italy time) tomorrow evening.
“We have a young team, but it’s not immature nor inexperienced. There are professionals with important experience: Suso, Romagnoli, Donnarumma, Reina. Ibrahimovic? He’s a great player and professional, there will be time for evaluations.
“Piatek? We have to play a lot in the penalty box to enhance his characteristics. In some games, we have done this well. First of all, we need to put him in a position where he can exploit his qualities.
“How we can stop Ronaldo? It’s difficult, he can hurt you in so many ways. We must be very careful against him, whoever is marking him at the time must be very determined to give him little space,” he concluded the press conference.
READ MORE – Preview: Serie A Round 12 – Juventus vs. AC Milan
