AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has stressed that he and the squad have full faith in Antonio Mirante’s ability to perform against Juventus.
Milan are having to battle a goalkeeping crisis heading into the Juve game, with Mike Maignan suspended and Marco Sportiello injured, meaning that it is Mirante’s turn to get his first start since joining.
The last match Mirante played in the league as a starter dates back to two and a half years ago: it was 18 April 2021 and Roma lost against Torino 3-1 away from home.
Mirante, a veteran with over 300 matches in Serie A, will have to take on the role of the superhero against Juve in the hope of continuing the Rossoneri’s good defensive record.
Pioli was asked a couple of questions about having to use Mirante during his pre-match press conference (read it in full here), and he made it clear that there is the utmost confidence in the 40-year-old.
“The utmost trust for Antonio. He is an expert, a reliable goalkeeper, fully involved in what we are doing, and is respected by his teammates for his technical and moral qualities. There is no need to say much to a player so experienced and ready to make his mark game tomorrow,” he said.
“Will things change? No, Antonio knows how to read situations and spaces. We must be good at giving him the right solutions and understanding what attitude Juventus will have. Antonio is ready to build from the back and read the situation.”
Mirante has all the right characteristics for a third choice keeper but it’s hard to deal with a situation where a player who never plays needs to be called up in an emergency.
Hopefully his experience will see him through.