Pioli Says The Victory Over Lazio Will Be Worth Twice As Much

JAKARTA - Stefano Pioli said the victory against Lazio in Week 33 of the Italian League at the Olimpico, Rome, Monday local time (Tuesday WIB), would be worth twice as much for AC Milan.

The reason is, Milan and Lazio are still involved in the hunt for the top four of the standings, after the chances of the Rossoneri champions on paper have evaporated amid the positive trend of Inter Milan, who are now leading 13 points at the top.

Milan is currently down to third place displaced by Atalanta and has 66 points, eight points ahead of Lazio. Apart from facing Lazio, Milan still has two other matches against the top four competing teams, namely Juventus and Atalanta, in the remaining schedule.

"A head-to-head match like this is going to be worth twice as much," Pioli said at a pre-match press conference launched by Reuters on Sunday night.

"Lazio are indeed behind points from us, so tomorrow (tonight, red) will be an important match for the future of the two teams," he added.

Pioli insists his team will never run from a challenge and are ready to reach the target of appearing in the Champions League next season.

"If you face your fear, it will run. If you run, your fear will haunt you," he said.

"Our motto is 'if you want it, you can do it', the rest is just an excuse. We will do everything to achieve this big target," said Pioli complement.

Despite leading the standings until mid-February, their deteriorating form means Milan now have only a realistic chance of securing a Champions League ticket for the first time since 2013/14.

Last week's 1-2 defeat against Sassuolo was quite an impact on the odds, but Pioli believes his team has done better this season than anyone except Inter.

"The last 32 games show that we are stronger than anyone but Inter in this league. We will appear in the remaining matches with ambitions and targets that can be achieved," concluded Pioli.