AC Milan Talk: Episode 7
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00:00 [Music]
00:18 Hello Rossoneri, this is AC Milan Talk.
00:20 Welcome to a new weekly episode with all the goings on of our February team.
00:25 Here with me today, as always, Adriano Del Monte and Sheridan Verne.
00:28 Welcome guys.
00:29 Ciao Licia, ciao Sheridan.
00:31 Bonjour everybody, very happy to be here.
00:34 Bonjour.
00:35 Very well done.
00:36 It's the right beginning, the right hello for today.
00:40 A very busy week, so we have a lot to talk about.
00:43 Let's start from our men's first team.
00:46 [Music]
00:49 [Music]
00:53 A vintage AC Milan performance was needed
00:55 and a vintage AC Milan performance we got at San Siro against Paris Saint-Germain.
01:00 Adriano, a little comment about last night.
01:03 Wow, a little comment, a big comment because it was so special.
01:06 Licia, we talk about Champions League nights at San Siro,
01:10 we talk about the impact of that crowd, that atmosphere
01:13 and yes, this team rewrote another chapter in their famous history in this competition of course.
01:19 And they did it the hard way Sheridan because this Grignard goal early on,
01:24 dampened the spirits a little, the build up, the pre-match was amazing
01:28 but then the response, it was enough to get you out of your seat.
01:31 It was brilliant.
01:32 It's the Milan that we want, we want this Milan every week
01:35 because we're greedy in a positive sense.
01:37 This was a European performance that will be remembered.
01:40 Maybe it's this generation's European performance to remember.
01:45 Hopefully there'll be many more.
01:46 But that agility and acrobatic spirit from Rafa Leal,
01:51 then this towering header by Olivier Giroud, just smashing Milan's Grignard out of the way.
01:58 It was the kind of performance that will be talked about for many, many years
02:03 and the players, all of them, the subs were amazing.
02:07 Theo, who had a really great game, played within himself,
02:11 didn't attack too much, played intelligently with that free kick.
02:14 Okafort came on and nearly squeezed it round the corner, Adriano, didn't he?
02:19 Good save there by Donnarumma, but there were chances.
02:22 This was the promising thing.
02:23 Obviously there have been a couple of games where the team have struggled for goals.
02:27 Obviously, Serie A a few days prior at the weekend, no goals in that match,
02:30 but it was their willingness to continue to attack.
02:33 The two goals though, amazing.
02:36 Which was your pick because both were brilliant?
02:39 I think my pick was probably Olivier Giroud's
02:42 because the way he made Milan's Grignard look like a small, normal guy.
02:49 Grignard's a big physical presence, like yourself, Adriano.
02:52 He's a tough guy.
02:54 Giroud just said, "Get out of my way, I'm going to score the goal."
02:57 It was just fabulous.
02:58 Unbelievable and very special, as I said, Liceo.
03:02 The atmosphere that I touched on, being there pitch-side and taking in that atmosphere,
03:08 I did feel that in the lead-up to the match there was something special that was going to happen.
03:12 It felt a little different to some of the matches in recent weeks,
03:16 not only in the Champions League, also in Serie A.
03:18 It felt that there was obviously a must-win match for the team.
03:22 We knew the situation coming in, in terms of the points, no goals scored in the group.
03:26 I think the team played a little freer, a little more calmly,
03:30 nothing to lose and they left it all out there.
03:32 That's Milan at their best.
03:34 I'm sure that gives us a lot of optimism for what's to come.
03:37 Do you remember what I told you before the match?
03:39 I had a vibe.
03:40 I do, yes. Share.
03:42 I had a feeling that Raphael would have a really good performance.
03:46 I had a vibe, and we can prove this because we exchanged these messages.
03:49 I had a vibe that Milan would win because I said there was this feeling there in the stadium
03:54 that something special was brewing.
03:56 Milan, Champions League, match made in heaven.
03:59 The other sign of a great performance is that it's hard to pick out one player,
04:03 because you can say Raphael was fantastic and he was,
04:05 but also Tiziani Reinders in midfield was energy.
04:09 Everyone played their part. This was the thing.
04:11 And Ruben, Rubes as we call him.
04:13 Ruben Loftus-Cheek was just galloping through midfield, impossible to knock off the ball.
04:19 We could talk for days, yes.
04:20 Teo Hernandez played intelligently. He didn't bomb on in attack.
04:23 Tomori, brilliant. Malik Chao, Davide Calabria.
04:27 We could go through the whole, if you include the substitutes, we could go through all 16 of them.
04:31 But we won't go through all 16 of them.
04:32 And Mr Piolli. Everyone did their bit.
04:33 And the boss.
04:34 Absolutely.
04:35 We've already seen the updated table of Group F.
04:38 We are in the third place, so anything could happen, anything is possible.
04:44 But as you resumed with the highlights of AC Milan versus Paris Saint-Germain
04:51 on the night that maybe was the most important so far, our roster did their best.
04:56 Also, our head coach, after the match, commented on his last performance.
05:01 Let's listen together to Stefano Pioli in his interview.
05:04 I think it was very important to talk to each other, to stop in the dressing room
05:12 to be aware that we are not the ones from last Saturday
05:16 and that there was a great opportunity to show it, especially from a mental point of view.
05:20 In games, football can be lost, it can be won.
05:23 But as we interpreted it, as the guys interpreted it,
05:27 the mental level of determination, of suffering, of spirit, of soul,
05:31 was something exceptional.
05:34 But I know them well and I know they would have reacted with the necessary attitude.
05:41 What about the next matches?
05:44 Because Borussia Dortmund will visit us at San Siro and then the away match against Newcastle.
05:50 The two opponents against which we obtained two goalless draws.
05:56 About the difficulties?
05:58 Of course, this is the group of death. We knew this coming in.
06:02 Every match is difficult.
06:04 Of course, matchday 5 at home to Dortmund, matchday 6 will be the trip to Newcastle.
06:09 The mathematics though, Sharon, my specialty.
06:12 I told you last week, last time out, this good result would ensure this.
06:18 Fate is in our own hands now.
06:20 We are now in a position where Milan beat Dortmund on matchday 5,
06:24 go ahead of Borussia Dortmund, meaning qualification will come down to a good result at Newcastle.
06:29 So there will be challenges.
06:31 But this is a Dortmund team, if we're looking ahead to a couple of weeks,
06:34 that did lose 4-0 to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last weekend.
06:39 They did respond well against the Newcastle team with a number of players missing.
06:43 I'm very confident given what we saw.
06:45 And as Mr Pioli said there, he was not surprised by the reaction
06:49 because that belief has been maintained in the squad.
06:52 I interviewed a couple of the players post-match.
06:55 Ruben was one and obviously he's spent some time out.
06:58 But he said that the core belief between the group has been maintained
07:02 despite the indifferent performances of late.
07:05 So they're confident and now 6 points will guarantee qualification,
07:10 which is very exciting given where the team were a few weeks ago.
07:13 6 points is the dream and Dortmund coming to San Siro, it won't be easy for Dortmund.
07:18 As demonstrated by the Milan fans against PSG,
07:22 you can make the San Siro a really intimidating,
07:26 it's easy for me to say, intimidating, tough place to visit.
07:30 And Dortmund, their own stadium is impressive.
07:32 It can kind of put you on a back foot.
07:35 But now it's their turn to feel the other side of that.
07:39 And I'm sure the San Siro fans will make it a really tough night for Dortmund.
07:43 So 6 points is the dream and I believe it's possible.
07:46 Obviously 6 points is the dream but if we look ahead,
07:50 a win against Dortmund will ensure that Milan go one point clear of Dortmund
07:54 with a better head-to-head.
07:56 Essentially what that means is going into the final matchday,
07:58 Dortmund will effectively need to beat PSG at home
08:02 and for Milan would then have to lose to Newcastle.
08:05 So again, that result against PSG do not underestimate how important
08:10 all three points were.
08:11 People were talking about a result would be good to take a step forward
08:14 but that was an impressive display.
08:16 This team now should be bold and should be confident of taking maximum points
08:20 on matchday 5 and really putting themselves in a strong position.
08:23 Focusing in particular on the magic atmosphere on that night at San Siro,
08:28 we have the two post-match reactions from two other protagonists
08:33 among our roster, Ruben Loftus-Chic and Younus Moussa.
08:37 Honestly, it's hard to describe.
08:41 It's incredible when you walk out and the Champions League song is playing
08:46 and the whole stadium just shouts "the champs!"
08:50 It's brilliant and that gets you going.
08:54 In a game where it's a must-win, the crowd played a crucial part tonight.
08:59 I was surprised by how loud it was.
09:02 I started to smile because obviously for us it's great
09:07 and for PSG it should be very uncomfortable.
09:10 That helped us a lot tonight.
09:13 Even though we conceded, we knew we were in the game
09:17 because we were creating chances and doing well.
09:20 We didn't let this blow crush us.
09:23 We thought we had to keep going like this,
09:26 we can never give up and that's what we did.
09:30 They need to continue on this winning way.
09:35 No doubt.
09:36 As Sheridan said, when Milan went to Dortmund,
09:40 the atmosphere there was very difficult.
09:42 It's about recreating that at Sunset on matchday five.
09:46 I love hearing the players, and I spoke to both those players
09:49 after the match as well for my broadcaster,
09:51 I love listening to those players talk about feeding off the energy
09:56 of the atmosphere because it proves it's very real and it is influential.
10:00 Again, just to reiterate, the sound inside the stadium,
10:04 especially in the pre-game, there was something different
10:07 about that stadium and there always is on Champions League nights.
10:10 In many football cultures, particularly South America,
10:13 they say the fans are the 12th man, but I think that San Siro
10:17 was the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th man because it gives them such a boost.
10:22 It reminds us of the old days, not that long ago by the way,
10:26 Ancelotti, Sacchi, but more in my mind, the Carlo Ancelotti
10:30 Champions League days when it was something extra.
10:34 Many great teams came to San Siro and they fell at San Siro
10:38 because the players, but also the frenzied atmosphere,
10:41 was too much for them.
10:43 You look at the Paris Saint-Germain players as well,
10:45 obviously a lot of these teams, especially Paris Saint-Germain,
10:48 with a player like Kiernan Mbappe, world-class players, top footballers,
10:52 every time they come to this stadium, I love watching the visiting players
10:56 in the pre-match because they come in and they soak in the atmosphere
10:59 and they enjoy the experience as well.
11:01 It was really nice to watch Mbappe in the warm-ups with Paris Saint-Germain,
11:05 just looking into the crowd with a smile on his face and enjoying it.
11:09 But conversely, it's very tough for them to play and that's why
11:12 we see Milan consistently perform at that level in this competition
11:16 and that's why I have a lot of confidence now going into the Dortmund match
11:19 on matchday 5.
11:21 But after the Champions League, it's already time for a new challenge
11:24 for Serie A after the defeat against Udinese on Saturday night
11:31 against Roberto da Verce's Lecce.
11:35 Not an easy fixture.
11:37 No, I mean, the thing about Lecce is they're in, at the time of recording,
11:41 they're in 13th place, I think, in Serie A, but that's a slightly false position
11:45 because they built that up with a very good start.
11:48 I think they won three matches in the first five rounds of Serie A.
11:53 Very good early.
11:54 Very good early, but since then they've struggled and they gave Roma a scare,
12:00 AS Roma, in their most recent match in the league,
12:03 but I think Lecce are a team that are perhaps starting a...
12:07 they're beginning what is quite a difficult phase,
12:10 so Milan should win on paper.
12:12 Now, obviously, we know they play on grass, not on paper, Adriano,
12:16 so you can't guarantee it, but Lecce's position,
12:19 it's a bit more precarious than the table would tell us
12:22 and Milan, I wouldn't be surprised if Mr Pioli arrests a few players
12:26 because they gave absolutely everything against PSG,
12:30 so there might be some turnover, some rotation,
12:33 but I do believe Milan have got enough to beat Lecce,
12:36 but we don't always...
12:38 Results don't always correspond to what you can expect,
12:41 which is what happened against Udinese, Adriano, isn't it?
12:44 I was there at the Udinese match.
12:46 You saw some of the warm-ups there and what you could see there was the rain.
12:49 It was extremely heavy rain and actually off the back of that match,
12:53 I was a little concerned going into the PSG clash
12:56 that with only 72 hours to recover, they were tough conditions.
13:00 There was a goal.
13:02 It went to Udinese, Pereira there with the penalty.
13:04 That was the lone goal of the night
13:06 and, look, obviously it was a disappointing performance.
13:09 It was Udinese's first win in the league this season,
13:12 so not the perfect preparation for the Champions League,
13:15 but the team certainly responded.
13:18 This weekend, I think this is as important as the Champions League midweek
13:23 and the reason why is because this is obviously the final match day
13:26 before the next international break.
13:28 I think the team need to finish off on a positive note
13:32 and this is a Lecce team that, yes, started the season well.
13:35 They're now winless in seven,
13:37 but a Lecce team that Milan did draw at 2-2 last season,
13:40 they went behind two goals early.
13:42 It is a tough place to travel to down south.
13:44 And they were very good against AS Roma.
13:46 Very good. And it was two goals in the stoppage time
13:49 that Roma required to come back and win.
13:51 So they must be respected, but I think this is a great opportunity
13:54 to take a lot of confidence into the international break.
13:57 A couple of weeks off, come back firing to finish off the calendar year.
14:01 That's all for our men's first team,
14:04 so let's move on to our women's team.
14:14 For our women's, I would like to start with your comments, Sherry.
14:18 What happened against Fiorentina?
14:21 The team gave everything, but it was just one of those matches
14:24 where nothing worked as we would have hoped.
14:28 Let's put it that way. It was a late winner from the viola.
14:32 But it just... Milan's biggest problem, the feminile,
14:36 is they're not scoring enough goals this season.
14:39 The ladies have only scored three goals.
14:41 And you don't have to be a mega-tactician to realise it
14:44 if you don't score goals.
14:46 It's very hard to win matches outside tournaments
14:49 where there's no extra time.
14:51 It's very difficult to make an impression on a league championship
14:54 if you can't find the net.
14:56 This is the goal right at the end of the match.
14:58 You can see the Milan players were so close
15:01 to what would have been a decent point away to the Tuscan side.
15:05 But it's just not going at the moment for the Rossoneri.
15:08 They need to find a way. The new players have to bed in.
15:13 There have been some good signs from the new players,
15:16 but it's about goals. It's a results business.
15:19 And the way you get results is goals.
15:21 It's just not happening yet.
15:23 But hopefully they can click soon in attack.
15:25 It will happen, don't worry. The opportunity to respond.
15:28 Cannon will come very soon.
15:30 But for me, the goals have been very unlucky.
15:33 In two or three matches this season,
15:35 those late goals that they've conceded have been the difference
15:38 between getting a very solid result.
15:40 The performances have been there.
15:42 Just that consistency for 90 minutes needs to come.
15:45 We know, again, we spoke about it last season,
15:48 but the change in format means Milan need to finish in the top five
15:51 at the halfway point of the season to break off into the championship group,
15:55 which ultimately then keeps hopes of qualifying
15:57 for next season's Champions League alive.
15:59 So still work to do, but an opportunity to respond
16:02 against Sassuolo this weekend.
16:04 The second appointment in a particularly intense November
16:09 for Gans' team, the Rossoneri, as Adriano has already said,
16:14 hosts Edwin Marra Sassuolo.
16:16 What should we expect from this match?
16:18 Well, the most important thing, and it might sound banal or obvious,
16:22 is to win because Milan mustn't get too far away from the Scudetto pool,
16:28 which, for those who don't know, Adriano's explained it,
16:30 it's the top half of the league that battle to eventually be champions
16:35 and qualify for the Women's Champions League.
16:37 The second part, the relegation pool,
16:40 are those who battle to stay in the Women's Serie A.
16:43 Now, Sassuolo are behind Milan in that second part of the table,
16:48 but Milan have to start winning soon,
16:50 and the best way to do that is to get points
16:53 against those who are behind you,
16:55 who are not quite doing as well as you are.
16:57 You have to beat the teams below you
16:59 and hope to beat some of the teams above you.
17:01 The best way to start is literally get a win this weekend.
17:04 That's right, and to provide that opportunity,
17:06 your team behind Milan in the standings, they must respond.
17:10 We saw some vision there of Mr Gans against Juventus
17:14 in a previous match at home this season.
17:16 It was another one of those narrow defeats very late on,
17:19 but the positivity in the performance was there.
17:22 If they can bring it and obviously convert, as you said, in attack,
17:25 I think we'll see three points this weekend.
17:27 Like we say, ladies, score some goals.
17:29 We know they've got the quality and we know they've got the creativity.
17:32 Just put the ball in the back of the net.
17:34 It's as simple as that, and we believe they can do it.
17:37 So, good luck to our listeners for the next section.
17:40 Now, let's focus on our Under-19s.
17:43 I don't know how to describe this incredible team.
17:52 Bates' side gained another impressive result in the Youth League.
17:57 So, thanks to give us this great show, also, I guess, Paris Saint-Germain.
18:02 So proud of this team. They have really developed so well.
18:06 You've been looking forward to talking about this more than anything.
18:08 Yeah, in my private life as well.
18:10 I just want to talk to people in the streets about Mr Bates' wonderful young players,
18:15 because to get that result against PSG,
18:18 after losing in the first match in the French capital 1-0,
18:22 it was incredible.
18:23 This is one of my favourite players. They're all my favourites,
18:25 but this is Clinton and Siala.
18:27 In my commentaries, I call him President Clinton,
18:30 because he's in charge. Look at this.
18:32 He's a central defender, by the way,
18:34 but he can make an effect in both penalty areas.
18:38 It was brilliant. Milan raced into a two-goal lead.
18:40 Watch this. Liceo Adriano. This will...
18:43 I've watched this over a hundred times.
18:46 Can you remind our fans how old this player is?
18:50 Off the top of my head, I can't, because my maths is terrible,
18:53 but I think he's 15 or 16.
18:55 They're all young players, but he's one of the youngest in the group.
18:59 I think he was born in 2004 or 2005. Francesco Camarda, which is spectacular.
19:04 I think it's 2007 for 15.
19:06 I think he'll turn 16 later this year.
19:08 We'll leave the maths to another day, but he's very young and he's very good.
19:12 However, the 2-0 lead was chipped away by PSG.
19:18 In the second half, they made it 2-2.
19:21 It was hard to take. Very similar goals as well.
19:24 At this point, you felt, "OK, a 1-1 draw, a 2-2 draw will be acceptable."
19:29 However, right at the end, this goal reminded me of Filippo Inzaghi.
19:33 Watch this. That was a Predators goal.
19:36 It was Diego Sier. The shot was from the captain for the day,
19:39 because Kevin Zeroli was suspended.
19:41 The shot was from Malaspina.
19:43 Watch this. From that angle, you can't see, but trust me, this is the best angle.
19:47 That was a Poachers goal.
19:49 That reminded me of Filippo Inzaghi back in the day.
19:53 It was a late victory. PSG were stunned.
19:57 Milan just had a big party.
20:00 It was a wonderful week in European football for the senior team
20:04 and for Mr. Bartes' very impressive youngsters.
20:07 Absolutely amazing.
20:08 Off the back of the run last season, that has to give this core group confidence
20:14 that they're capable of doing that to go ahead against a quality Paris Saint-Germain team.
20:19 Obviously, then see them level and then go on and win later on.
20:23 Incredible, incredible performance.
20:26 You're right. When the Champions League Youth League comes to town,
20:29 when UEFA comes to town, so do Milan.
20:31 Plenty more of that, hopefully, to come.
20:33 Talking about the Primavera 1, the championship,
20:38 after the not-so-easy weekend against Empoli,
20:41 now it's time to face Lecce, also for our under-19s.
20:45 Remembering that Coppitali's side is the current reigning champions for Primavera 1.
20:52 Yeah, it was the result of the weekend before the European match was frustrating,
20:58 a bit like the men's first team.
21:00 My initial thought was that perhaps the youth team had their minds on Europe.
21:06 When it's the first team, you say professionals shouldn't do that,
21:10 but because it's the youth team, they're still young, they're still learning about football.
21:14 I would forgive them for maybe just thinking more about what was going to happen in Europe.
21:19 Here is Milan in the right away kit.
21:22 They didn't perform to their full ability.
21:25 Some of the players were on the bench with the men's first team, by the way,
21:29 because of defensive cover requirements.
21:32 So it wasn't a vintage Primavera performance.
21:36 But if you spoke to some of the players and they said,
21:39 "We were thinking a little bit about the PSG match,"
21:42 I would completely understand it, because they're young and they're learning the game,
21:46 and they're humans, and if you have something that's a bit more exciting,
21:49 no disrespect to Empoli.
21:51 I don't want emails from Empoli fans shouting at me.
21:53 But no disrespect to the Tuscan side.
21:56 The PSG match is probably just a little bit more evident in their mind.
22:00 And they're a good team as well. That Empoli team are a good team.
22:03 And they are. They mustn't be a snifter.
22:05 But it is hard. It's not easy.
22:07 This is all part of the development, all part of the progress,
22:09 and it's part of the learning experience.
22:11 But these players, what they have proven, they are capable of beating everyone in Europe.
22:17 So it's an exciting second half of the season to come for Abate's young men.
22:22 Well, guys, that's all for today. Thanks to Adriano Del Monte and thanks to Sherry Dunbar.
22:27 Thank you, Licia. Thank you very much. Au revoir. Merci. Merci beaucoup.
22:32 See you not next week, because it's an international break, but in two weeks.
22:37 Well, I won't see you, but you'll be in my heart next week, as always.
22:41 Dear Rossoneri, thanks for following us. See you in the next episode of our AC Milan Talk. Ciao.
22:48 [Music]
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