DBasia.news – Stefano Pioli, coach of AC Milan, welcomed the draw for the last 16 of the 2022-2023 Champions League. He admitted that he was excited to be able to collide tactics with Antonio Conte.
The draw did bring Milan with Tottenham Hotspur. The duel between the two teams will take place on February 14 and March 9 next year.
Pioli is aware that this match will not be easy for Milan to pass. Rossoneri’s poor record when meeting the English team was one of the reasons.
The existence of Conte in the opposing camp also made Milan’s task even more challenging. The 53-year-old tactician is of course familiar with the strength of Il Diavolo Rosso.
“A difficult game against a strong opponent and coached by a great coach who knows us well. But in the last 16 it is unthinkable to find an easy opponent,” Pioli said.
“They will be a challenging opponent, but we will face them with our quality and confidence.”
Based on the meeting record, Conte appeared to be superior in front of Pioli. He was able to win seven games from eleven meetings.
While Pioli has only beaten Conte once. That moment happened when Milan was 3-1 over Inter in the fourth week of Serie A 2020-2021.
“He (Conte) is a great coach who has won things everywhere. He gives a clear identity and a great mentality to his team.”
“But we want to advance to the next phase. Milan’s record against England is historically negative, so we have to work to reverse that trend.”