AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli believes that the next couple of games are ‘season defining’ for the club, with Spezia and the return leg against Inter on the schedule.
Pioli spoke to Milan TV on the eve of the game against Spezia to analyse the team’s current moment as well as give an update on the injury situation that they are facing.
“With all our heart and affection. Be it for the stage of the season we’re at and the seriousness of the injury, this setback was unfortunate. But they are part and parcel of the risks attached to our job. But Isma is a strong character and is tough mentally so I’m sure he’ll come back even stronger,” he began.
“Tomorrow is a must-win game, both for our league placing and the upcoming Champions League game. We need to be sharp and resolute, as the league season is about to end.
“Tomorrow is such a pivotal game for us, even though we don’t deny that we’re also thinking about Inter. Good preparation for the Champions League means doing well and winning tomorrow.
“We have to be sharp, determined and be extremely alert tomorrow. For the way Spezia have been playing, they deserve to have more points on the board.”
The game could well be a must-win for both teams however, given that Spezia have actually slipped into the bottom three after Hellas Verona’s recent resurgence, and Pioli’s men will face a determined side a few players down.
“For them, it will also be a vital game because for the first time this season they’re in the bottom three. We expect them to be determined, we’ll need to be on their toes and solid too,” Pioli added.
“I am pondering every possible situation, the moments and games differ a bit. The team are in a good shape but the mental aspect will be crucial in the last 2-3 games, even more than the physical condition.
“That’s what we have to bear in mind. We have some minor problems, such as Rafa’s unavailability tomorrow. But there are good chances he’ll be able to train on Sunday and be fit for Tuesday.
“Zlatan and Florenzi are still out, though. Krunic and Messias will also be unavailable tomorrow, but should return for Tuesday.”
Milan are in a precarious position when it comes to qualifying for the next edition of the Champions League while trying to balance that with reaching the final, and Pioli knows that the next few days are crucial in establishing how the season will be viewed.
“The next four days will define our season, which we’ll analyse when the campaign is over. We’re approaching the end now,” he said.
“We’re all disappointed with the performance and the result of the first leg of the semi-final. But we’ll now try to do well in Serie A, coming off the back of a great game against Lazio, so we have to win our last four to make the top four.
“We need to focus on winning the game, if we play like we did in the second half there’s a good chance we will. After half-time the game was more balanced, and we created a bit more.
“We have to aspire to win the game, which means we have to bounce back from a bad result and believe until the end. We have the qualities and potential to do just that, but our performance has to be nigh on perfection.”
Poli’s time at Acmilan is over the next game against Spezia will show him the door
Now it’s time for DeZerbi to take over and deliver something special for Rosso Neri
Milan at the moment are in big trouble with injuries, especially long term to benecer
They need to invest in a striker, midfielder and a quality centre back with strength speed and intelligence of the game, enough said good luck Maldini