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IGLI TARE BACKS NKUNKU AS CENTRE FORWARD ABLE TO LINK WITH LEãO

AC Milan director Igli Tare is confident in Rafael Leao and Christopher Nkunku's new strike partnership against Roma. Despite injuries, he believes the duo can deliver in a crucial Serie A clash for the standings.

Igli Tare Backs Nkunku As Centre Forward Able To Link With Leão
Christopher Nkunku - Getty Images

Regarding Rafael Leao and Christopher Nkunku's brand-new striking combination versus Roma, AC Milan director Igli Tare is comforting. "We need to think optimistically."

At 19.45 GMT, it begins at San Siro.

The Liveblog will provide you with live coverage of all the action and build-up from today's five Serie A games.

At the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, there is a lot on the line because a victory would tie the Rossoneri with their rivals for second place.

However, following Napoli's 0-0 tie with Como, a Giallorossi win would put them atop the standings.

For Tare, Milan vs. Roma was a unique experience.


Does playing Roma feel like a derby for Tare, who spent the majority of his career at Lazio as a striker and a director of sport?

We are solely focused on Milan defeating a formidable opponent to move us close to the top of the standings since I have won enough derbies, particularly the one that mattered on May 26 in Rome. Tare told DAZN Italia, "We have to believe positively."

Milan continues to struggle with injuries as Pervis Estupinan and Ardon Jashari are only fit for a bench role, while Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez, and Adrien Rabiot are sidelined.

With neither Leao nor Nkunku being true centre-forwards, it means a completely different front-row pairing.

While it is true that they share traits, Nkunku has spent 70% of his playing career as a centre-forward. They are beginning together tonight for the first time, and they demonstrated their ability to work well together during training, so we will see," Tare said.

"Gimenez is not having a good time, but the club and staff fully trust him." He and I both suffered the injury at a difficult moment, but we must go on because these things happen in football.

Has the filmmaker gained a better understanding of Rafael Leao? Max Allegri stated during his press conference that it was challenging to understand his perspective.

"I think Leao is a genuinely kind guy. On the surface, people have this impression of him, but after seeing him every day, they realise that he is completely different. He is capable of winning the game on his own, and I do not doubt that he will perform admirably this evening.

Before kickoff tonight, there will be a minute of silence in honour of Giovanni Galeone, who passed away today at the age of 84. Galeone was Allegri's and Gian Piero Gasperini's mentor.

"Max is undoubtedly impacted by this. I was just discussing Galeone with the coach, who had a close relationship with him, loved deeply about him deeply, and considered him to be family. Unfortunately, this is life," Tare said to DAZN.

TACTICAL SHIELD: WILL GIOVANNI DI LORENZO’S DEFENSIVE MASTERCLASS SECURE NAPOLI’S FINAL SPOT

Giovanni Di Lorenzo urges Napoli to avoid a "lottery" by beating AC Milan in normal time tonight. Can they reach the 2025 final?

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Will Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s Versatility Be Napoli’s Secret Weapon?

Giovanni Di Lorenzo has stated Napoli is aiming for victory at the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia. He has urged his teammates to secure the win in 90 minutes when they play Milan in the semi-final this Thursday, saying that penalties are unpredictable.

The Supercoppa Italiana kicks off in Riyadh with the Napoli versus Milan semi-final on Thursday evening. Bologna and Inter will compete in the other semi-final on Friday night, with the winners meeting in the final on Monday.

Di Lorenzo: ‘Napoli want to qualify for the final in normal time’

Captain Di Lorenzo, alongside Antonio Conte during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, mentioned that Napoli is in a good position despite their recent 1-0 loss against Udinese and their 2-0 defeat by Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League.

He said, “We’re coming in at a good time, even though we lost our last game. But this is another competition; we will play openly. The team is doing fine.”

When questioned about Napoli’s goals for the Supercoppa Italiana, Di Lorenzo clarified that they are taking it one game at a time. He wants to avoid a penalty shootout.

“Penalties are unpredictable, so we want to qualify for the final in normal time. That’s the goal. Milan is a strong team with great players, so we have to focus on doing our best.”

Regarding his recent role as a right wing-back, Di Lorenzo was asked if he has a preference between playing in a back three or a back four.

He responded, “We’re all professionals and used to playing all the time. I always train to the best of my ability. It can be tiring mentally, but you need to burn a lot of energy to play in these games.

“I play wherever the coach tells me. I’m always available for the team; my position is secondary.”

Napoli, like Milan, has brought several youth team players to Saudi Arabia. Di Lorenzo commented on them.

“They’re young guys who often train with us and bring a breath of fresh air to the first team. We try to make them feel comfortable and help them perform at their best.”

On Napoli’s defensive game, Di Lorenzo added, “Tomorrow’s match depends on our defence, so it will be very important. You attack better when you defend well. We will try to play a good defensive game and show our qualities when we have the ball.”

SAUDI SHOWDOWN: CAN MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI’S TACTICAL SHIFT OVERCOME NAPOLI IN RIYADH

Massimiliano Allegri faces a selection crisis in Riyadh. Will tactical tweaks be enough to stop Conte’s Napoli on Thursday?

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Will Allegri Demand New Strikers After the Napoli Clash

Massimiliano Allegri says he and Milan are waiting to see about possible new players in January. He also told fans what to expect when Milan plays Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana on Thursday night.

Milan will play Napoli in the first Supercoppa Italiana semi-final on Thursday night. Then, Bologna will face Inter on Friday night, and the final will be on Monday night.

Allegri previews the Milan vs. Napoli Supercoppa Italiana semi-final.

Milan won this competition last year in Sergio Conceicao’s first two games as coach. A lot has changed for Milan since then, including the coach and their league form going into this tournament.

Allegri thinks this game will be different from Serie A matches.

“Tomorrow is a different game. It’s a one-off, and we want to reach the final. Napoli is a very strong team, so it will be tough,” he told the media on Wednesday.

Allegri also gave an update on Youssof Fofana and Rafael Leao: “Fofana is ready to play, but we’ll see about Leao after today’s training,” he said. Santiago Gimenez and Matteo Gabbia will not be available to play.

Allegri was asked if he plans to change tactics against Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana.

He said, “We always play with three attackers. Saelemaekers is the one who mixes things up. Athekame and Jashari are back, and we need fresh energy since we always play the same guys.”

About Napoli, Allegri said, “Napoli is a strong team that scores a lot of goals in the box, no matter their tactics. Tomorrow will be a great game with many talented players.”

The Milan coach said that Gimenez will likely have surgery on Thursday. It’s not clear if this means Milan will make any moves in January.

“Gimenez saw a doctor, who advised him to have surgery. The surgery should be tomorrow morning. Milan wants to get our current players back in shape, and then we’ll talk with the club about what we can do in January.”

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