PIOLI: "THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE"

Matchday five in the Champions League and the Rossoneri’s last away fixture in Group B: AC Milan are set to face Atlético Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium. Coach Pioli and Sandro Tonali spoke to the press ahead of tomorrow's game scheduled for 21:00 CET, giving their thoughts on a decisive showdown. Here's what they had to say during the press conference:

STEFANO PIOLI

LAST CHANCE
"We’ve analysed Atlético in detail, it’ll be easy to motivate my team. It’s a big game against a great side, and it represents our last chance to remain in the Champions League. Atlético are one of the best teams at picking up points in the final minutes, they never give up. We’ll need to be attentive until the 95th minute. Whether Griezmann plays or not, they’ll have a very competitive team. We believe we can match them, just like we did in the first game."

FROM FLORENCE TO MADRID
"In the Champions League, we’ve faced opponents of the highest level and shown that we’re capable of almost playing on par with them; however, something has always been missing. Tomorrow, we’ll need to do everything well to win. We lost in Florence because we weren’t as precise as we have been in the two boxes, showing less quality and determination than we normally do. This can’t be put down to the international break or an individual, but, nevertheless, the team covered a lot of distance and created opportunities. Tomorrow, we’ll need to be strong in both penalty areas."

THE TEAM
"Romagnoli is doing better and is ready to play. We hope to have Tomori back for Sunday’s game. Compared to Fiorentina match, I’ll have the same players available to me, plus Maldini. The team I choose will be primarily based on the condition of the players. Rebić’s absence is a problem, but we still have a strong attack to call on."

SANDRO TONALI

ATLÉTICO MADRID V AC MILAN
"The most important match is always the next one. Therefore, for myself and the team, the most important game now is the one coming up in Madrid. We still have one step to go in the Champions League: we need to win, it’s our only objective. In this competition, the details make the difference, as shown by our first match against them. At San Siro, we were the better side until Kessie’s sending-off; after that, the match changed. Tomorrow is vital, and winning could make the difference. We believe and will give absolutely everything. Atlético are a great team and playing at home will give them a boost, but I don’t think there’s a favourite. We’ve shown that we can compete with anybody."

A QUESTION OF DETAILS
"In the Champions League, all the teams are experienced and shrewd. We’re a young team and need to improve when it comes to these aspects, and this is what we’re doing. In this competition, we’re still missing a little bit in all respects. Some refereeing decisions have also not gone our way, but this happens in football."

PERSONAL GROWTH
"I’ve made great strides forward. This has stood out this campaign because I didn’t perform so well last season. I need to continue on this path and not allow myself to get carried away by the compliments I’ve been receiving."

The PUMA AC Milan jerseys for the 2021/22 season are available: buy them now!