Sassuolo’s Dionisi: Milan doesn’t make mistakes at home

Sassuolo’s manager, Alessio Dionisi, has addressed the press before his team’s away game against AC Milan. He highlighted several key issues that his team faced and how they plan to approach the upcoming match.

Dionisi commended his team’s second-half performance in their previous game, despite not attaining any points. He attested that “the last 30 minutes were positive”, but also emphasized the importance of acknowledging their overall disappointing position. His team should not be “satisfied” or “happy” with the fewer points they have acquired in recent times, he said, as reported by Calcio News 24.

Speaking about Milan, a team he acknowledges as a tough competitor that rarely falter at home, Dionisi admitted both teams have their own hurdles to overcome. He mentioned numerical difficulties and recent lacklustre results as challenges his team had to grapple with.

The health condition of the team’s star player, Domenico Berardi, was also addressed. Dionisi revealed that Berardi had missed a training session after falling ill, but has since trained with the team. “I’m crossing my fingers,” he said, hoping Berardi remains fit and doesn’t fall sick as he did before the match against Genoa.

Discussing a potential change in the lineup, Dionisi hinted at possible appearances from younger players, “We only have three midfielders, one of them is born in 2005 and has already played 30 matches in Primavera 1 and Primavera 2 in two years. He might debut tomorrow.” He added that they could adjust their formation by deploying two midfielders and an attacking midfielder or Lipani from the start.

The manager also addressed his team’s subpar position as compared to expectations. He admitted that they haven’t achieved as per their capabilities. However, he asserted that “we would deserve more” and the current state was only a part of an ongoing process.

Regarding the dependency on Berardi, Dionisi admitted that “all teams rely on one player”, however, this reality does not diminish the performer’s value. He acknowledged Berardi’s absence due to an injury in four games this year, but stressed the need for the team to adapt to changes, make amendments, and revise strategies for better performance. Stressing the difficulty of the match against Milan at year-end, Dionisi ended with a motivational note insisting his team should play with conviction.