PIOLI: "IT WILL BE ANOTHER STEP IN OUR DEVELOPMENT"

After the excellent performance against Udinese at San Siro, the Rossoneri's first away game of the season is on the horizon. On matchday two in Serie A, AC Milan will travel to Bergamo to face Gasperini's Atalanta. It's a fixture that has seen two memorable triumphs in the last two seasons for the Rossoneri, who will be hoping for a repeat at 20:45 CEST on Sunday. Coach Stefano Pioli gave his thoughts during the pre-match press conference at Milanello. Here's what he had to say.

ON TOMORROW'S GAME
"Last season has given us a lot of experience, which means we can be confident for the future. We've prepared well for Atalanta, who are a strong side that we know well. They play positive and attacking football. We're ready. It'll be another step for us as we continue to grow. They've changed a few players but the spine of the team is the same. They're organised, technically sound and play with intensity. It's an even game and a very important one so soon in the season, so we need to have the right approach."

INDIVIDUALS
"Tonali is a complete midfielder. He knows that he needs to keep improving and be ambitious because he has bags of potential. He'll need to maintain this hunger and the fact that he is a lifelong Milanista will certainly count in his favour. Charles De Ketelaere is an attacking midfielder and that's where he'll play. It's difficult to picture him on the right but his versatility is an asset to us. He's a smart lad, who's learning the language and showing his dedication. Pobega is a good player and I believe in him, Bennacer has both consistency and quality; he's a complete player."

ON SERIE A
"We're a strong side and all the players need to feel like they have a part to play, but nobody should feel like they are indispensable. The only things, which are indispensable, are mentality and hard work. I don't know whether we're the favourites; there are seven or eight really strong sides in it this season. I expect the league to be really open and these top-of-the-table clashes will make all the difference, just like it was last season."

ON THE TEAM
"I'm happy that there's competition in the squad. The lads need to work hard to cause me selection headaches and the team selection for tomorrow won't be easy either but I need to name the strongest starting eleven that I can. I'm lucky to have so many attacking options, which I can also bring on to change a game."

TRANSFER WINDOW
"In terms of the transfer window, we still want to improve certain areas, but only if there is a suitable candidate. I'm happy with the squad at my disposal now." 

PERSONAL CHALLENGES
"I feel a lot of responsibility, both in terms of how I set the team up and how I motivate the players. I always try to be honest because we need to work well together and continue our development. Much like the players, I also need to grow and improve and I feel like AC Milan is the right place for me to do that best."

FEELING LIKE CHAMPIONS
"We're not really thinking about that right now; we're just concentrating on tomorrow's game. The team is really focused."

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