Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has hailed the ‘synergy’ within the club hierarchy in the build-up to his side’s Serie A meeting with Sassuolo. After losing just one of their opening 13 league matches this season, the Rossoneri have laid the foundations for what would be their first Scudetto in over a decade.
Milan’s 12-game unbeaten start to this season suffered a dramatic end in Florence last weekend, as Fiorentina eked out an enthralling 4-3 triumph on home soil. But last season’s Serie A runners-up have bounced back instantaneously, picking up a precious 1-0 win over reigning La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in midweek Champions League action.
A somewhat unexpected win at the Wanda Metropolitano must have lifted the spirits at the San Siro ahead of Sassuolo’s visit. One thing is now certain, this Milan squad has the character and mental fortitude so often missing since the Rossoneri golden generation in the early ’00s.
Despite being forced to operate on a tight budget, Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara have done an outstanding job in the transfer market over the past couple of years. Milan’s transfer gurus have given Pioli a core of exceptional young talent to work with, and the Mister has delivered.
Pioli’s formula of mixing super-talented youngsters with the experience of Simon Kjaer and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been a resounding success so far. Going into Sunday’s encounter, Milan are level on points with pacesetters Napoli, with reigning champions Inter whittling down the gap to a single point, a virtue of a 2-0 win over the newcomers Venezia on Saturday.
During the press conference ahead of Milan’s match against Sassuolo, Pioli provided an insight into the goings-on at the San Siro.
“Until now, we’ve just been laying the foundations. We now need to raise the bar to become even more competitive. What I like is the synergy between the Club, directors, players, and the surroundings. This allows us to always perform to the max,” he said, as quoted by Milan’s official website.
“It’s important to have care and passion for what we’re doing. When we go out onto the pitch, it’s important to have the desire to win every game.
“Average team is content after a good performance; they go into the next game with a bit of overconfidence. Good teams build on a good performance. We lost our last league game; we’re still level at the top but we could be clear. Tomorrow, we have the chance to get back to winning ways in Serie A. The team has always shown great balance.
“In Florence, we committed some errors, which influenced the final outcome, but the performance was a good one. We played simple football on Wednesday without giving the ball away cheaply; we’ll need to be as efficient tomorrow.“