Head coach Stefano Pioli, spoke to DAZN after the 1-0 victory against Empoli.
Here are his statements:
What answers did this match provide in view of the Europa League one?
"We played the game we needed to play. We had a very good first half where we created a lot but only scored one goal. Then in the second half, we weren't as brilliant but we did well to control and concede little."
Today the only regret is not closing the match...
"Certainly, if we had managed to double the score, we would have suffered a bit less. We worked hard as a team, even with players who had played two days ago. This is a very important week for our season."
Christian Pulisic said he is in his best condition ever and solidity will be fundamental in Prague:
"Chris hasn't played, in the last 7-8 years, with so many minutes and appearances. We are helping him and managing him well. He is available, he is a very intelligent player and a great guy, too important. Solidity, yes, but football in Europe is a bit different. Just look at the results from the previous round. Only Freiburg-West Ham ended 1-1, otherwise 4-4, 4-2, 2-2... There are a lot of goals because there is more space, teams want to attack. The best mentality will be to score one more goal than the opponents, who will try to play the game of their lives, but I told the team that we can also play the game of our lives."
Commenting on Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor's performance:
"Christian is giving us continuity, quality, intensity, rhythm. He is a top-level player. Noah was very good, we prepared the match for Theo to go up a bit more and him to play more centrally near Jovic. Then when we saw that Theo was being marked by Gyasi, we preferred to keep him deeper and open up Okafor more, and he was very good in one-on-one situations. He could have been a bit better at attacking the goal when Pulisic put in 2-3 balls in the first half. He had a good performance, he worked hard for the team. Glad he was ready."
In 2024, only Inter has done better than you. Has something changed? Pioli responded:
"Surely, due to injuries, we went through a tough period and suffered. The group did well to hold a line. We changed a lot during the year, we didn't have Bennacer out due to injury, the midfield was almost all new... In my opinion, it's a series of factors that helped us understand certain situations better and achieve a more consistent performance that we were looking for."
There's a lot of talk about your future... Is it a recurring theme?
"I don't know, you tell me (laughs). I keep hearing and saying that the club is providing me with the best possible conditions to work, that I train a very willing and quality group. There's too much talk about the future, the future is uncertain for everyone, let alone for the coach of a big club. We are all focused on the present and the next match, that's what matters most."
You've scored 351 points with Milan, like Ancelotti:
"I'm experiencing something exceptional here at Milan. I've given everything and have been giving everything since I entered Milanello, and I've received a lot from everyone. A lot also means a lot of criticism, but it's normal and I can only be happy but above all motivated to make this last as long as possible."
READ MORE | Pulisic: "I feel like I’m in the best moment of my career. Lazio? I didn’t notice anything" 
Stefano Pioli - AC Milan
