Pioli aims to narrow the gap

APPIANO GENTILE – Stefano Pioli gave a brief interview shortly before kick-off against Atalanta, revealing his matchday routine and breaking down the contest.

"Do I have any rituals on matchday? I try to be as focused as possible, stimulate and motivate the team. Inter have to win against Atalanta to narrow the gap on those in front of us and improve our situation further."

Atalanta pose a tricky test for the Nerazzurri.

"They deserved to win against Napoli. We'll be under pressure, but we're Inter and we cannot back down. We must believe in our ability and play to win. The level has to increase; it's clear these fixtures give us a chance to climb up the table.

"Looking at the odds, third place will be tough to achieve but we've only got one option: win as many games from here until the end. You have to play well to beat Atalanta."