On the eve of the match between Roma and Milan, we need a great performance from the Rossoneri to overturn the first leg defeat at the Stadio Olimpico. A situation in which Satan has rarely found himself historically. The last comeback after a first-leg defeat was in 2007 against Manchester United. Mauro Tassotti He was present that evening at San Siro as Carlo Ancelotti's deputy. The Rossoneri's flag was the protagonist of another comeback, but as a footballer, against Sporting Gijon in 1987 and Auxerre in 1985. He tells us his opinion to MilanNews.it:
What do you expect from Milan at the Olimpico?
“A difficult match because the result of the first leg certainly does not help, but qualification is still in the balance. There is a minimum difference and we must remember that there is no longer the away goal rule. So Milan has the possibility of achieving it.” But we definitely need a different performance compared to the first leg.”
What are your impressions of the recent shows?
“Even two games ago, Milan seemed to be on the rise, they were coming off a winning streak and the team looked to be in good form. The match against Sassuolo is a test to be taken into account to a certain extent, given that Pioli has rightly rested several players, With Champions League qualification now secure, let's say making a good impression at Sassuolo would have helped emotionally, because after the mediocre performance against Roma, the risk is to see things negatively.
Judging by precedent, Milan, despite having European DNA, do not have the ability to make a comeback
“She doesn't have the DNA to come back because we often didn't need her. Milan have already achieved results in the first leg, often away from home.”
I was present on that epic night at the San Siro against Manchester United, which would take us to the Champions League final which we then won.
He added: “The match against Manchester was not an uprising. In the end we lost 3-2 away from home and it seemed more negative than it was because we were also winning and they turned things around in our favor. But in the end the result was good.” A defeat by a narrow margin that we could have overturned at home, in addition to the advantage that the away goal was worth the double.”
Pioli's future will be determined by this match. As Ancelotti's assistant, a similar situation happened to you on the eve of the 2003 Champions League. It went well and the rest is history, but how complicated is the coach's job with this pressure?
“The coach can't do much about it. Pioli has been at Milan since 2019, so the club knows his qualities perfectly. This means that everything cannot be based on one match, which can go well or poorly for the team.” “Because they have already made a decision, a bad defeat or a big victory can certainly influence the judgement, but the decision has already been made.”
Who could be tonight's hero at the Olimpico?
“More than the individual level, I expect the team to perform well. It will be easier for even the most creative players to get excited. You cannot win these matches for one player, it is necessary for the team to respond. In Milan's history it has always been like this, perhaps Van Basten scored a goal.” “The win is yours, now there are others.”
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