Fonseca sees Milan ‘opportunity’ against Liverpool and ‘differences’ between Slot and Klopp | OneFootball

Milan coach Paulo Fonseca insists the Rossoneri must be ‘perfect defensively’ to beat Liverpool and sees ‘differences’ between Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp.

The Rossoneri have just won the first Serie A game of the season against Venezia and are preparing for a Champions League fixture against Liverpool at San Siro.

It’s the 2024-25 debut in the competition for both sides and Fonseca previewed the match at a pre-match press conference on Monday.

“The fans’ support is always crucial to us. It was important on Saturday, when we arrived at the stadium, before and after the game. It’s fundamental to have the fans’ support. We must feel their love,” said the Portuguese coach, as quoted by Milannews.

“I think victories boost self-esteem for the fans and the players. It will be a different match after the win against Venezia. I thought we were improving even before the game, but victories boost confidence.”

Liverpool beat Manchester United before the break, but lost at home against Nottingham Forest this past weekend.

“It’s a great team, one of the best in Europe at the moment,” said Fonseca.

Fonseca sees Milan ‘opportunity’ against Liverpool and ‘differences’ between Slot and Klopp

“They have solid positional play and strong players who we all know. We must be defensively perfect to win. We can make no mistakes against these teams. If we make a mistake, they’ll score. We must be complete in attack and defence.

“I see tomorrow’s game as an opportunity for the team to prove that we are improving. Facing Liverpool is a big opportunity and it brings something different to what we are accustomed to in Serie A.

“Slot has just arrived and they have different players. I think there are many differences [from Klopp], but also similar traits like the way they defend. They are very different when they play on the wings, while the way they recover the ball and press high is pretty similar.”

Milan owner Gerry Cardinale will be in the stands like against Venezia on Saturday, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will also be at San Siro.

The former striker was spotted talking to Fonseca before a training session this morning.

“I always talk to Gerry before and after the games. We are always in touch. It’s normal,” said Fonseca.

“I spoke about what we usually discuss. The atmosphere, the game, the team. Nothing different.”

Milan will face city rivals Inter after the Liverpool game and Fonseca admitted that he’s already thinking about the derby.

“The same players can play, but I can also consider the possibility of change,” he said, smiling.

“We have three games this week and we must think about all matches. Tomorrow is the most important because it’s the next, but I can’t forget that we’ll play a derby in the next Serie A match.

“If we win both games, I promise I’ll bring you pastel de nata at a press conference,” he added smiling.

What does he mean by ‘defensively perfect?’ What does he expect from his players tomorrow?

“To me, defending well means not losing the ball. We must defend well and together when we don’t have possession, especially in these matches,” Fonseca clarified.

Are Liverpool favourite tomorrow?

“It’s always a particular question for me. I could say anything. Words are just words,” the Milan coach replied.

“What matters is what we do on the pitch. What we feel is the most important thing, and we want to beat Liverpool.”

Tijjani Reijnders and Ruben Loftus-Cheek swapped positions during the latest win against Venezia, so when one was playing as an attacking midfielder, the other dropped to central midfield.

“I liked this structure, and we could see it again in the future,” admitted Fonseca.

“Of course, each game has a different strategy. Positional play is important to me. Now, we must improve the link-up between players, but I liked it.”

What’s his view on Youssouf Fofana who scored his first Milan goal against Venezia?

“He has just arrived, and we still can’t expect him to be perfect,” Fonseca concluded.

“He is improving in key details. He has great belief and he will be important to the team. He needs time to adapt to Serie A, which is different from the French league.”