AC Milan center-back Strahinja Pavlović gave a long interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Sunday night’s derby.
“The derby will be a tough match. Inter Milan are ahead in the standings and may play with less pressure than us. But a derby is always its own story, each one is different from the others. I expect a match full of battles and I hope we will manage to win.”
If he is the right man for battles:
“You could say that (laughs). I like these kinds of challenges, but I think anyone who plays football with passion lives for matches like this. I believe we are all ready for the derby.”
Which Milan derby he remembers most fondly:
“The 3–0 in the second leg of the semifinal of last season’s Coppa Italia. In derbies it is hard to truly enjoy the game because they are always intense and full of duels. That time I actually had fun and I will not forget it. The Supercoppa Italiana derby? Yes, that comeback was incredible, even if I experienced it a bit differently because I was on the bench. Watching is almost harder than playing and the emotions are different, but I was still very happy that night.”
If the Milan derby is different:
“Yes, because the atmosphere is special. In Serbia I grew up around similar environments, with passionate and tense matches, but here it is different. I feel that people start talking about the derby a month in advance. Everyone focuses on this match and it feels as if nothing matters more than winning it.”
Is Inter the favorite?
“No. There are no favorites in a derby. We saw that last season as well. In the league we struggled and finished eighth, but we often won the derbies. The derby is always its own story.”
Pavlovic on what Rafael Leão said about the derby:
“I agree with Rafa. You can say it is the most important match of the season, a special game. Anyone in Milan knows how much it means.”
On the atmosphere in the locker room
“We are professionals and we must prepare the same way for every match. Still, it is true that you can feel the excitement in the air because the derby is coming.”
On the Rossoneri legends:
“You only need to walk around Milanello to realize how many legends have played here. Their photos are everywhere, in the dining room, the locker room, the gym. It makes me happy to wear the same shirt they wore. It is a beautiful feeling and hard to describe.”
On the differences between Serie A and other leagues
“AC Milan is the biggest club I have played for so far and Serie A is stronger than the leagues in Austria, France, and Serbia. Everything is different here. There are no easy matches and in these almost two years I have learned more than in the previous six years of my career. For a defender it is the perfect league to grow.”
On the defensive phase under Massimiliano Allegri
“The coach puts a lot of emphasis on defense and we have made great progress. The credit is not only for the defenders though. Everyone has to help. The forwards and midfielders support us a lot. What have I learned from him? Many small things. I started to pay attention to details I did not consider before, and they make the difference.”
If he is satisfied with Milan’s league season so far
“That is a difficult question. Compared to last year we are happy. Our goal at the start of the season was to finish in the top four and we are still in the race. But looking at our performances, I think we could have had more points, so there is some regret. There are still eleven matches left and we will do everything possible to get the maximum.”
If only the derby matters now
“Exactly. We move forward match by match and in the end we will see where we finish. Problems against smaller teams? If you look at our results against the top six we have many wins because we are more dangerous on counterattacks and quick plays. We struggle more against teams that defend with a low block when we have a lot of possession. We will improve.”
If a derby win would make them believe in the title:
“Nothing is finished yet. There are eleven rounds left and the important thing is to stay united and give everything until the final minute.”
The toughest opponent in training
“Rafael Leão is very hard to stop, but the player I struggle with the most is Christian Pulisic. He is the type of player who avoids physical clashes. He is fast and slips away from you. You cannot go in hard because he finds a way to escape, like a snake. Will he get back to scoring? I hope so. He is strong and very important for us.”
On Matteo Gabbia
“I wish him a quick recovery, as I already told him in a message. We will miss him. He is a great person before even being a great player.”
Pavlovic, a message to the fans?
“Thank you for the support because you are always our twelfth man. We will try to win the derby. Will we be ready? Yes.”
