Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano believes his side needs ‘something more’ to win their first Champions League game against Monaco on Tuesday, as they are urged to ‘raise the bar’ after two consecutive European defeats.
The Rossoblu are coming off two away trips to England that saw them suffer as many losses to Liverpool and Aston Villa, but Italiano dismissed the view that the clash against the Ligue 1 will be ‘softer’ than their previous fixtures, also admitting that Bologna weren’t ‘used’ to play at Champions League level.
Scotland international Lewis Ferguson came on in the closing minutes of Bologna’s 1-0 win over Lecce in Serie A last weekend as he returned from injury after six months, and the Bologna manager said he aims at bringing him back ‘at his best’ soon.
“Monaco a softer game? That’s not something I’ve ever thought,” Italiano said at a press-conference ahead of Tuesday’s game in the Champions League, as quoted by TMW.
“I believe that now we need to focus on the performance to get the result, especially in front of our home crowd. We did well here against Shakhtar, as well as against Liverpool and Aston Villa.
“But now, we need something more, and tomorrow we need to aim for that. Whether it turns out to be ‘softer’ or not, we’ll find out at the end. Right now, Monaco are doing very well; they’re a confident team, and tomorrow we need to raise the bar.”
Monaco lost two consecutive games in Ligue 1 but Italiano prefers to focus on Bologna’s positive moment, as they are on the back of two Serie A wins in a row.
“I don’t know how our opponents react to setbacks, but I do know how we feel about coming into this game after two wins,” the coach added.
“Plus, we’re playing at home, and I must say that I see a fantastic atmosphere here at the stadium: I’m sure our fans will support us to the end because we need everyone.”
After making his return against Lecce, Lewis Ferguson is ‘gradually’ improving his condition.
“Ferguson is doing well,” Italiano observed.
“He’s starting to increase his workload because he wants to get into peak condition. The game against Lecce allowed me to put him on because there was low density in that area when he came on.
“Gradually, we’ll start increasing his involvement because he’s an important player for us, and we want him at his best soon.”
Bologna are 29th in the Champions League standings after three games and they need to climb at least to 24th if they want to secure a spot in the play-offs, but Italiano doesn’t want it to turn into an ‘obsession’.
It’s something we’ll try to achieve without the obsession of performing above our level,” the Italian tactician said.
“I came from the Conference League, and I’ve seen very strong teams in Europe, but what I’m seeing in the Champions League, especially in the last two games, is something we’re not used to.
“Our goal is to try to reach the top 24; if we make it, it will mean we’ve done a great job. However, the Champions League for us should be about growth, and our focus is on playing well, not on the standings.”
