Zlatan Ibrahimovic says that AC Milan should approach the second stage of their Champions League play-off against Feyenoord because they would have a final after they lost the first stage 1-0.
With Milan coach Sergio Concukicao who walked back to Italy after attending the funeral of the former Porto-President Pinto da Costa, senior club advisor Ibrahimovic took his place at the press conference on Monday.
Last week Milan lost the first stage of the knock-out-phase play-off 1-0 at De Kuip, with the third minute goal of Igor Paixao that made the difference.
“They have to comment on this with a final mentality, focused, aggressive and concrete,” Ibrahimovic said reporters prior to Tuesday's second stage.
“It is important to play well, but it is more important to win. We are through a goal, we must get a result to continue. Everyone must push his teammate and make him focused.
“It is a collective that starts with some individuality. Even those who have to push on the couch, it is all connected to the collective. This is what makes a group and a team.”
@Feyenoord | #Ucl pic.twitter.com/cire4iifbt
– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) 12 February 2025
Ibrahimovic also believes that Milan's supporters can play a crucial role in pushing the team to get the required result at San Siro.
“Our fans are important for tomorrow, their fans pushed hard in Rotterdam,” said Ibrahimovic.
“But I am convinced that tomorrow 80,000 Milan fans in the stadium and people around the world will give the team maximum support, what this energy will take to do the best possible.”
The Rossoneri did not succeed in claiming five of their last six European Cup/Champions League tires when losing the first stage, with the only exception when they destroyed a 3-2 first-leg deficit to Manchester United in The Semi 2006-07 to eliminate -Finals.
Fikayo Tomori is aware that a clean leaf will be vital if they continue to the last 16, with the Opta Supercomputer assigning each team a chance of 50% to get ahead.
“As a team and as defenders, we take on the field with the aim of not giving any goals and tomorrow we will be one of them,” Tomori said.
“We know the quality we have, but if we give a goal, we should not lose concentration and keep faith in what we do.
“In the end we know that we have to and we want to win, we must be focused to get what we want.”
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