Conceiçao: Milan must be ‘focused from kick-off’, can’t play with two strikers plus Leao | OneFootball

Milan coach Sergio Conceiçao knows his side can’t always ‘rely on a comeback’ to win games, and has urged his players to show the right attitude from the very first minute against Udinese on Friday.

The Rossoneri failed to win their last two Serie A outings against Napoli and Fiorentina, falling two goals behind in both matches before mounting strong reactions—enough only to earn a single point against the Viola.

However, the Portuguese manager emphasised that the team has been working hard to maintain consistency over the full 90 minutes, and expressed hope that their trip to the BluEnergy Stadium could already reflect that progress.

epa11966596 AC Milan’s head coach Sergio Conceicao reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Como at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, Italy, 15 March 2025. EPA-EFE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

Conceiçao: Milan can’t always rely on a comeback, I don’t start players to sub them off

“We need to bring that second-half attitude right from the start, because matches are won by playing from the first minute to the last,” Conceicao told reporters at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.

“It’s crucial to stay focused from kick-off. We’ve talked about it a lot among ourselves — it’s not a new issue this season.

“Yes, we’ve shown great reactions, but you can’t always rely on a comeback to win games.

“We had a good week of training, I’m pleased with the attitude and the answers I got. Hopefully, tomorrow’s performance will reflect the work we’ve put in.”

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Luka Jovic of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Fiorentina at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 05, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Early substitutions have occurred frequently under Conceiçao, with Yunus Musah being the latest to leave the pitch during the first half, mainly due to a mistake that led to Fiorentina’s opener. However, the coach insisted that he makes changes to ‘help the team’.

“It might look contradictory, but I don’t start players just to sub them off at halftime,” Conceiçao continued.

“I try to read how matches are going and make adjustments to help the team. I pick the initial plan based on the week’s training and the sensations I get — then sometimes, especially when we’re behind, that plan needs to change.”

The former Porto boss went on to reiterate his desire to see a solid and compact performance against Udinese — a crucial match with important points on the line, as the Rossoneri currently sit ninth in the standings, a position that would see them miss out on all European competitions next season.

“Palladino said it [Milan-Fiorentina] was a beautiful game, But personally, I don’t like matches where you can score five or six goals and risk conceding just as many,” Conceiçao argued.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: David De Gea of Fiorentina looks dejected after failing to make a save as Tammy Abraham of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Fiorentina at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 05, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“What I like is compactness and solidity. That second-half reaction came almost out of desperation after a poor first half. We’re working on consistency — we need to be solid and focused across all 90 minutes.

“We look at the standings to push ourselves to improve, but honestly, right now the only thing we need to focus on is tomorrow’s match. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves — there are three points up for grabs in Udine”.

Can Luka Jovic’s positive impact against Fiorentina persuade Conceiçao to start with two strikers?

“The 4-4-2 is one of the systems I like the most, I’ve played with it for many years,” he said.

“But we’re not yet balanced and solid enough to play with two strikers, especially with Leao who attacks a lot, Theo who attacks a lot, and attacking full-backs. You can still be offensive even with just one striker.”