Udinese coach Andrea Stramaccioni has admitted that his side will have to bridge a gap in quality against AC Milan ahead of their match at the Stadio Friuli on Saturday evening.
The Bianconeri are without a win in their last six Serie A games, but have lost only one of their previous six home league matches against the Rossoneri, winning four of these.
“These are the matches that make you give that little bit more,” the 39-year-old tactician said in his pre-match press conference.
“In terms of quality, they are superior to us, but we must use our own characteristics on the pitch to bridge the gap between us and them.
“We need to be compact and hard to deal with. These are the ingredients needed for a competitive match and then it will be an open game and anything could happen.”
Stramaccioni also addressed speculation about his future in Friuli being at risk.
“I’m always completed focused on my work and I’ve given 100 per cent since the start of the season,” he continued.
“We are focusing on the objective of avoiding relegation, but we have never really been at risk of going down.
“Unfortunately though, we’ve alternated between good and bad performances.
“This week I spoke at length with our president and it’s only right that he’s the one to decide on my future.”
