Milan and Conceicao not giving up on Champions League dream

Sergio Conceicao believes that AC Milan tin inactive suffice for the Champions League this season, contempt sitting 9 points down fourth-placed Juventus.

Milan look Genoa astatine the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris connected Monday, knowing a triumph is simply a indispensable to support their hopes of competing successful Europe’s elite contention adjacent twelvemonth alive.

The Rossoneri are unbeaten successful 13 of their past 14 Serie A matches against Genoa (W9 D4), past losing to them backmost successful 2020, erstwhile they fell to a 2-1 defeat.

But this run has been an underwhelming 1 for Milan, contempt winning the Supercoppa Italiana against rivals Inter successful Conceicao’s 2nd crippled successful charge.

The 50-year-old has won 13 of his 26 matches crossed each competitions (D5 L8) since taking implicit from compatriot Paulo Fonseca successful December past year.

And portion Conceicao has guided Milan to the Coppa Italia final, wherever they volition play Bologna, the Portuguese manager acknowledged determination was not a batch to cheer about.

“We conscionable request to work, it’s not similar a alteration of strategy automatically fixes everything,” Conceicao said.

“The squad showed it creates chances successful each game, but we lacked equilibrium and antiaircraft solidity.

“We are moving connected each of this, not conscionable arsenic a team, but besides the idiosyncratic errors we cannot spend to perpetrate astatine this level.”

Conceicao was besides capable to supply an update connected the fittingness of immoderate of his players, including striker Luka Jovic and on-loan Manchester City defender Kyle Walker.

“Luka Jovic is feeling better. He had 3 grooming sessions with us,” Conceicao started.

“But Tammy Abraham has a fittingness problem, truthful helium is retired on with Warren Bondo and Riccardo Sottil.

“Kyle Walker is available, helium knows however to play successful the backmost 3 oregon arsenic a wing-back.”

Despite being down successful ninth, Conceicao denied helium would springiness up connected the league to remainder players for the Coppa Italia final.

“Every time that we travel here, determination is the work of moving for a nine similar Milan,” Conceicao said.

“The Serie A array is what it is, but we person the work to beryllium our prime each day, to beryllium we are a antithetic squad from the 1 that we appeared to beryllium astatine times.”