Tonight, a win against Girona at San Siro is essential to take an important step forward in the standings and move closer to entering the G8 of the Champions League.
Sérgio Conceição has never been intimidated by a crowded place, not since he attended village fairs in Portugal at the age of 13 or 14.
"I was introverted; selling at fairs with my cousin was important to develop the ability to feel comfortable with others, even without knowing them."
Stadiums have always been less daunting for him, even the big ones, even those with 80,000 unfamiliar faces. During his seven years at Porto, Conceição has frequented many such stadiums and almost always come out on top.
Statistically, he’s been eliminated twice in the Champions League quarterfinals and three times in the round of 16. Only twice did he fail to qualify for the knockout phase, and in the bigger picture, these are exceptions.
Milan, on the other hand, has not done nearly as well, nor have its players.
There are those who have won the Champions League — Morata twice, Pulisic as a key player, Theo as a bystander — but the 2023 semifinal squad has dispersed, and many current starters have a very limited European history. In this context, Conceicao can be a guide.
As for Porto’s group-stage draws in the Champions League, they’ve often sparked envious tweets and sarcastic remarks, the draw gods haven’t been unkind, but Conceição has built a winning European culture in white and blue.
A brief summary: last season, he advanced from a group with Barcelona, Shakhtar, and Antwerp before being eliminated in the round of 16, on penalties, against Arsenal.
Decisive moments included a billiard-player-like goal from Trossard and a chaotic body-post-calf rebound involving David Raya, Arsenal’s goalkeeper. In 2022-23, he navigated a group with Leverkusen and Atlético Madrid, a snake pit, despite a 0-4 home defeat to Club Brugge, but was then eliminated by Inter, hitting the post and crossbar in added time. Inches, as Al Pacino would say.
In 2021-22, he was knocked out of a deadly group with Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, and Milan. In 2020-21, he eliminated Juventus in the round of 16, still grateful to his namesake Sérgio Oliveira and, pointedly, Tek Szczęsny, and narrowly missed forcing Chelsea, the eventual champions, into extra time in the quarterfinals. Going further back: in 2018-19, he overturned Roma in the round of 16 but conceded six goals in two games to Liverpool in the quarterfinals, the same opponent that had ousted him in the round of 16 the previous year. Even considering the traumatic 2019 elimination in the playoff against Krasnodar (!), his journey is worthy of applause.
What did Conceição say at yesterday’s press conference?
He was asked about a hypothetical Milan semifinal and responded: "Can they make it? I hope so. Starting tomorrow, we will do our best to go as far as possible." Bookmakers currently list 13 teams with better chances than Milan, not three, and yes, that’s understandable.
The team has issues: it’s plagued by injuries, and Saturday’s second-half performance against Juventus was abysmal. Sergio Conceicao, for this reason, called for unity: "Fans need to understand that Milan is Milan. At this moment, they need to be the twelfth player, or rather the first. Without them, the club doesn’t exist. Tomorrow is crucial because we’re facing difficulties with injuries and suspensions. This is my appeal to the people: I’m not handsome or charming, but it’s important to unite, despite the differences and preferences we may have.”
The last remark refers to the sharp, nearly unprecedented rift between the ownership, RedBirdand Gerry Cardinale, and the Milan fanbase. The Curva Sud has been protesting for weeks, and a “#RedBirdout” banner appeared near the headquarters, as pointed out by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
How will Milan face Girona tonight?
Conceição will attempt a straightforward approach: motivation and no tactical experiments. He’s not that kind of coach, as everyone knows. So, it’s a 4-3-3 with Morata up front, Leao on the left, Emerson Royal and Pavlovic starting even though they’re clearly on the market and could leave before Milan-Parma.
Christian Pulisic, meanwhile, will likely start on the bench. It will be interesting to see Milan’s approach. Girona enjoys possession, the third-highest in La Liga after Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the current Milan side has no qualms about sitting back and counterattacking.
We might see a Girona without their full starting lineup but still dominating possession at San Siro, which feels a bit unusual.
And What about Milan?
Compact at the back, clinical, hoping to score early and avoid giving Girona coach, Michel, any strange ideas. For a rainy January 22nd, that should suffice.
Then it’s off to Zagreb to secure a spot in the final eight and avoid the playoff trap. The rest, Milan’s problems, the round of 16, and even Krasnodar, who are currently first in Russia, can wait.
