Bayer Leverkusen will be Milan’s next opponent in the Champions League. After the rise in the championship, the Rossoneri team must now make up for the defeat against Liverpool in their seasonal debut in European competition. “It will be similar to the one against Liverpool. We must give continuity to what we have done, from a defensive point of view the team has grown and it will be a good test”, explained Paulo Fonseca in the press conference who also has to deal with Morata’s condition : “He made a big effort to play the last match, we don’t want to take any risks.”
Fonseca should therefore play Loftus-Cheek from the 1st minute in place of Morata; Emerson Royal is ahead in the runoff with Calabria. In Xabi Alonso’s team instead Wirtz and Terrier will act behind Boniface.
Here are Mister’s full statements Fonseca on the eve of the press conference together with the words of Rafael Leao, another of the most anticipated protagonists of the Leverkusen match: “Our way, I won’t say it’s always the same but the intentions are almost always the same. Later we can talk in depth about This is a bit early now. I can say a lot about our form of play, but I don’t think it’s the right time to delve into this matter. Did he make a big effort to play the last match, we don’t want to take any risks.” .
Will we see the same Milan attitude as in the last few games? Even in men?
“I don’t think we’ll change. We have to have continuity. We know it’s a different game, I think it will be a similar game to the one we played against Liverpool but we have to give continuity to what we’ve done. Defensively I think the team has grown, it’s a good test to see our defensive capabilities at the moment. I told the players that to beat a strong team like Leverkusen we have to make a perfect defensive team.”
On the rotation of captains, have you already done this in the past?
“When I arrived here I saw that the captains are the players with the most games. I want to respect this, but I also want a shared, broader leadership. We have the possibility of having more players as captains. We want to share this responsibility, probably tomorrow it will be another player to wear the armband…”
What is your state of mind regarding this “new beginning” in the Champions League?
“I am always confident. This is a different match. It is true that we have done well in the league in the last few matches, but I must say that Serie A is very different from these matches we have in the Champions League. Today they made me read the words by like this. Tomorrow we will obviously defend because we will play against a very strong team, but when we have the ball we still want to play. I’m curious to see the team’s behavior in a different match to those we had in Serie A.”
Did you see Atalanta’s match in the final against Bayer?
“Yes, I saw it. This shows how difficult Serie A is. Leverkusen faced a scenario that here, in Germany, they don’t have this type of man-to-man situations. Even Rice, from Arsenal, said it was It’s difficult to have that one-on-one, man-to-man scenario. Changing the team to play against a team that plays man-to-man is always difficult. But we’re not like Atalanta, not man-to-man across the pitch. Tomorrow seeing Milan won’t be the same as seeing Atalanta when they played against them. Atalanta created many difficulties for Bayer, but if I’m not a man-to-man coach I can’t tell my players to go and play. playing like this will be totally different.”
Is there a different way to approach the Champions League with the new format?
“When I prepare matches, I prepare all the moments. Defensively we have to play a perfect defensive game to win, but I prepare all the situations. I know it will be difficult, but when we have the ball we want to be an offensive team, which attacks and attacks the Bayer”.
What mistake did you make with Liverpool that he doesn’t want to see tomorrow night?
“We made a lot of mistakes against Liverpool, when you make mistakes against these teams it’s difficult and I think we made more defensive mistakes. There won’t be many opportunities against these teams.”
How would you like to define Milan’s module?
“It’s difficult (laughs, ed.). I keep saying that it’s not a 4-2-… It can be many things. It depends on the moment, where we’re playing… What I know is that when we talk about Morata and Abraham we are more offensive but we play with them because they work so hard defensively. We are stronger both offensively and defensively.”
Rafa Leao’s words in the conference
What does it mean to have worn the band?
“It’s always a pride to be captain of Milan: I’ve been here for six years. When I play with this shirt it’s always a responsibility but when I have the armband even more so”
How does Fonseca’s flattery make you feel about your defensive work?
“From day one the coach didn’t talk to me about goals and assists but that he wanted a changed player in defence, to be more concentrated in defensive work: it also helps me to be better. Even while we were coming here he showed me a couple of videos in the car. A person who is helping me a lot”
What do you think of Giroud’s words about being more technical than charismatic?
“My personality is reserved, I’m shy and I don’t like to talk much. When I’m captain, maybe I talk a little more before the match and on the pitch but my strength is to respond with my qualities and help the team with goals and assist”
What did Fonseca show you?
“He showed me the actions without the ball, the positioning to close at the far post. More defensive things”
Where can this Milan arrive in the Champions League?
“It’s better to think game by game, tomorrow is difficult and important. It’s important to win in the Champions League, a very beautiful scenario. It gives us confidence”
Are you aiming more for a great goal or lots of defensive recoveries?
“I want to win, if to win you need to make sacrifices, do things for the team. Details are very important in these matches here. These things make the difference”
Fonseca didn’t show Inter before the derby: are you braver?
“In my opinion I wasn’t surprised. We already know how Inter play and the coach didn’t want to put so many things in our heads: it was a match to go there and win, it’s a derby. I hadn’t won for two years and in my head I wanted win: I didn’t want to be the protagonist but to help the team and win. We are more compact and more of a team, we don’t give space to the opponents in the middle: I feel better defending without the ball this way and I think the others also feel good with this tactic”
What do you think of Boniface and Leverkusen in general?
“I know Boniface and Chukwueze talked to us about it this week: he is a dangerous, technical and dangerous striker. We will have to be careful. But we will have to be prepared for the whole team: all the Bayer players play well, the full-backs Grimaldo and Frimpong. Not we have to be scared of Boniface but we have to respect his abilities”