AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has claimed that Empoli will pose a more significant threat to his team than Chelsea ahead of their much anticipated UEFA Champions League showdown later this season.
Milan, presently fifth in Serie A, face Empoli four days before their visit to west London. Still, Pioli feels their domestic rivals will offer more of a threat than their upcoming Champions League opponents, given the tight schedule following the international break.
In what seems to be a way of belittling the English side, he said, ‘I don’t think there’s that much difference between playing well in Italy and in Europe. The Champions League does require a higher tempo, but nothing impossible.
‘I understand there are expectations around the Chelsea games, but I maintain the most difficult match for us will certainly be against Empoli.
‘When we go into that fixture, I’ll have welcomed the players back from international duty only two days earlier.
‘I trust that if we play at our usual levels, then results against Chelsea are certainly within our reach.’
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He added: ‘We are trying to improve our level even more after last season, but Serie A is a well-balanced league and everyone has levelled up with reinforcements, so we want to stay in the group fighting for the title to the end.
