PIOLI: "WE HAVE TO STAND BACK UP" | OneFootball

Non-stop big games for AC Milan, called back into action after the recent negativity against Roma and Inter. Now there is Juventus awaiting the Rossoneri, a proper clash against our direct rivals that cannot be messed up. On the eve of the game in Turin, Coach Pioli spoke in a press conference. Here are the main takeaways:

ON JUVENTUS V AC MILAN "Juventus is a solid side with strong and unpredictable forwards, they are good in dead-ball situations and can be dangerous all round. It will be a delicate and difficult game to be faced with determination and conviction. Now the focus should be finishing second, getting back to winning ways and doing well. It's down to us how we finish the season, we have five games to show who we are. From our mindset to the table, it is an important game for various reasons and we need to be at 100%".

MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVE "We cannot stop at the recent negative results and disappointments, we need to have the strength and pride to fight until the very end, trying to win all the games that are left. We are professionals, we're suffering from the current situation but we need to stand back up and react. We need to give it our all, fighting over every ball. We will face an opposition who is on a good run but we want to defend that second spot in the table".

INDIVIDUALS AND IBRA'S SUPPORT "Leão will be captain in Turin, he is the same as the rest of us on the eve of the game. Okafor and Chukwueze are doing well and will be ready to play, then I have to make some other choices for the line-up. Bennacer still isn't in the best physical condition, and Adli is currently very switched on in defence and I would rely more on him. Theo is a great player and could certainly be important for the future of AC Milan. Ibra is always close by us, he tries to pass on his faith and support us. We win and lose together, and together we try to overcome difficult moments such as this one".

THE SEASON "Let's wait for the end of the season to make any assessments. We have given it everything, not always but we have managed to show our best skills on the pitch. We have not been the best side in the league in the last few years. There have been good and bad times, with no middle ground. I need to be the first to have thick skin, criticism is part of my job".

CHOICES AND OPPOSITION "In the derby, I made some choices in search of compactness in defence, and then I assessed the abilities of my players to follow this strategy. The plan worked up to a certain point, when you then concede from a dead-ball situation, you put the opposition in the best place possible. In recent games, we have found ourselves faced with opposition sides that are ready to and good at exploiting our mistakes, and we didn't manage to do likewise".

FROM PAST TO FUTURE "It was a mistake not to emphasise the journey in the Champions League last season, but the fact that it was Inter who eliminated us and won the Scudetto this year is what has made the difference to our mood. They are our rivals, our struggles and our limits stick out even more. To raise the level we need to be more solid in terms of character, this is also a test and we need to show that we are capable of overcoming any difficulty. The seasons change from one year to another".

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