PIOLI: "AN IMPORTANT MATCH IN TERMS OF THE LEAGUE STANDINGS"

After Thursday’s match in Europe, all attentions are now on Serie A again. AC Milan’s final February fixture awaits, and it’s a big showdown against Gasperini’s Atalanta on matchday 26 in Serie A. Coach Stefano Pioli had the following to say in his pre-match press conference today:   

AC MILAN v ATALANTA
“Tomorrow’s match is very important in terms of the league standings. Various teams below us continue to pick up points, and we want to get back to winning ways. It’ll be difficult, as we’ll be up against a side who are doing well, but we are also doing well. They’ve beaten us twice this season, so we’re preparing for the game with the aim of doing better.”

EUROPEAN DRAW
“We progressed through our tie in the Europa League, and we’re in the competition to give it a go and fight to win it. Our destiny depends on ourselves, not on our opponents and the draw. In Europe, easy opponents don’t exist; Slavia Praha won their group ahead of Roma and are fighting to win their league domestically.”

POSSIBLE RETURNS
“Kalulu is doing well. Today, he’ll complete his first week of work with the team and we’ll assess his condition. Tomori is also doing better but slightly behind in the recovery process. Both know our defensive principles, and they are aggressive and fast and contribute well to our build-up play. We’ll have a lot of matches in the next few weeks, so these returns will be important. Calabria should train with the group.”

DEFENCE
“There will be a lot of duels, and we’ll need to be strong. The way we press and the intensity with which we do so could be decisive on a defensive level. Atalanta have great potential in attack and plenty of options, so we’ll need to be attentive, compact and aggressive. At the same time, we’ll try to be effective in attack because we have the characteristics to try and score plenty of goals.”

CALENDAR AND COMPETITIONS
“The Club deals with matters relating to the calendar; it’s something which is discussed in the appropriate forums. Playing in Europe clearly makes a difference in terms of match preparation; Atalanta have had a full week of training, but we’re motivated. We want to have our say in every competition. I have a group of strong players and not just eleven starters. I remain convinced that, given the condition of the players - something which only I know - the choices that were made for our match in Monza were the right ones. I always select the most suitable line-up for every game.”

INDIVIDUALS AND OPPONENTS
“Maignan is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and a consummate professional who always wants to grow. There aren’t any problems with Mike whatsoever. Kjær is a leader and knows how to speak at the right time and in the right way out on the pitch. Gabbia is performing really well and needs to keep it up. Gasperini has been doing an exceptional job for many years in Bergamo. De Ketelaere has some good qualities and is doing well, so we’ll need to be attentive.”

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