Conte: “We need to give 100% against Bologna"

APPIANO GENTILE - Following the win at Brescia that was secured courtesy of Lautaro Martinez and Lukaku goals, Inter are now poised to play Bologna on matchday 11 of the Serie A TIM season. Kick-off is at 18:00 CET on Saturday 2nd November. Ahead of the match, Antonio Conte spoke to the media at the pre-match press conference. “Bologna are an excellent side, their intensity is their main weapon as they create pressure across the whole pitch. We’ll have to play our game, prepare well for it and we’ve already started doing that and we’ll have to look to beat them blow-for-blow. It will be an intense match where we’ll have to give everything to leave the Dall’Ara with the points and let’s hope that it’s the three points.”  

On the team’s development and results so far: “We’ve started on a journey and there’s great harmony between us. We know that we need to work and improve and that this is something that we’ve started on this year. We know what we need to do but it takes time to improve. The good thing is how willing the players have been which has allowed us to get important results. We need to look to do our best, always leave the pitch with shirts covered in sweat and make our fans proud. We’ll have to not get disheartened when things aren’t all positive and not get carried away when they are positive. We need to stay calm and focused and have a vision along with the ambition to get back to being a winning side and this vision will slowly form in our heads and be very important for the present and the future.” 

He then gave his thoughts on the team’s attitude: “You use up a lot of energy playing in the league and in the Champions League, but we always need to give our all because the moment we take our foot off the accelerator we will struggle to win the game. We are not a team that was built to manage games; rather we must try and get the win through sheer effort and sweat.”

Lautaro Martinez’s continued growth as a player: “He is a young guy, he has some good qualities and good potential, he needs to try and be even meaner when he has a chance because a good forward is the one who gets in and scores a goal with just the slightest window of opportunity. It’s a just a process of growth for Lautaro. He’s a guy who wants to work and improve. He needs to be determined in shaping his own path, as it could be one that goes all the way to the top.”

Lastly the injury situation: “Vecino trained with the group yesterday, and Ranocchia also rejoined the group. Sensi should take part in today’s training, we will need to wait regarding Sanchez. D’Ambrosio is training, it depends on his sensitivity and his own pain management, but we’re confident that we’ll have him back soon.”