PIOLI: "A CHANCE TO GET BACK ON TRACK"

Back to the league: Sassuolo come to San Siro for Serie A matchday 14. We get underway at 15:00 CET tomorrow with the aim of staying level on points (or better) at the top and also to get back to winning ways after defeat in Florence. Ahead of the game, Coach Stefano Pioli held a press conference from Milanello. His words were broadcast live on the YouTube channel, Milan TV and Twitch.

MESSIAS AND HIS GOAL IN MADRID
"He has shown - not only in Madrid but each day in training - that he is a really good player. His story is a beautiful one but it's not a fairytale; he's here because he belongs at this level. I made the team rewatch the goal today because it's important to know how to take simple touches and flood the penalty area. We need to restart from this."

INDIVIDUALS
"Maignan is well; he started to work with the team last Saturday and he's fit. He will play tomorrow. Tătăruşanu did his job in his absence; I'm happy with Ciprian. Tomori isn't available tomorrow but he should be back for the trip to Genoa on Wednesday. Leão's doing well; he hadn't fully recovered for Madrid after cramping up in Florence but he is available. Pellegri? He's doing well; he has a lot of quality and is training well. I know that he'll be ready when he's needed; he's a clever lad, who understands that his time will come. Bakayoko is doing better; he arrived not in the best shape but he's a strong player, who I really like. He's got a great personality, is really physical and progressive with the ball. I can be safe in my choices in midfield became I have a lot of quality options; they will all get to play in the coming games."

PROSPECTIVES FOLLOWING HIS RENEWAL
"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. 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."

THE ROSSONERI'S FORM
"The average team is content after a good performance; they go into the next game with a bit of overconfidence. The 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. Sassuolo are a good team and, if we're to beat them, we'll need to put in a good performance. In these next five games, I'll need to manage the situation in the positions where we have a few problems. Those that came on on Wednesday did really well - with the right attitude."

DIONISI AND THE UP-AND-COMING COACHES
"They have clear ideas and have already won things in the lower league; winning gives you values. They are a new important asset, young coaches who are always there pushing and we have to stick to the desire to improve and have curiosity, there is always a way to improve. Against Sassuolo we will have to try to be compact, fast and precise, especially from a technical point of view."

A FLEXIBLE AC MILAN
"Having flexible players gives us a lot of solutions. Being able to make five subs is changing the way we interpret and manage games. You now need a plan B and a plan C. Intensity, aggression and determination are the keys to each game; they make the difference." 

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