Pioli: "The Sassuolo game will be crucial"

APPIANO GENTILE

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Stefano Pioli

held a news conference on Friday afternoon, as he looked ahead to Sunday's trip to Reggio Emilia, where Inter face Sassuolo.

The coach began by reminding everyone that all wins are worth the same number of points: "Winning breeds confidence and all that matters now is what we do on Sunday. We have the chance to get three points and it will be an important weekend in terms of our climb up the table. We're working hard to pick the best possible team for the match."

The press were keen to ask Pioli about two of Inter's summer signings, Banega and Joao Mario: "Ever is an excellent player, a consummate professional with great ability and he's done everything that's been asked of him. Joao is a very important player for us when we attack. He makes good late runs and needs to start scoring more goals. I believe that harnessing his attacking attributes is the best option at this moment in time."

Maintaining focus as ever could be the difference between winning and losing: "We got our approach all wrong at Napoli, whereas against Hapoel in the Europa League we started very well before switching off after the break. We must concentrate at all times. We'll have a lot of fans with us at Sassuolo. This is Inter and we must always think about winning. Sunday's match is important at the moment as we can win three on the bounce. Only after that will we turn our attention to Lazio."

Much of the work on the training ground has revolved around what Inter need to do when out of possession: "We must improve our speed off the ball and get tighter when the opposition have it. My players are all ears and aware of how good they are. However, we must secure more consistent results."

Pioli also responded to questions about Felipe Melo and Gary Medel. "[The Brazilian] is a physical player with a good temperament and he offers us something different to the rest. He's looking sharp both physically and mentally."

The Chilean is closing in on a return to action: "What matters now is that Gary comes back as quickly as possible. The fact that he can operate both in defence and midfield is an advantage for us and we'll make the most of his versatility. That said, for the moment we must pick the players we have available and get the best out of them."

What Pioli wouldn't give for a third straight clean sheet: "The whole team is working hard when we defend, it's not just the backline. We must be able to take up certain positions on the pitch to counteract our opponents. I expect a great deal from Perisic because he has massive potential. I'm looking to him."

Finally, the coach was keen to stress the importance of playing as a team: "We mustn't get hung up on individual players. We're a team and everyone must work hard as a unit. We need to be switched on for the whole game against Sassuolo. There are still plenty of points to play for but we must make the most of every opportunity."