Montella demands courage from Milan

AC Milan head coach Vincenzo Montella is demanding a courageous performance as his side bid to get their stuttering season back on track against Genoa on Sunday.

The Rossoneri have lost three Serie A games in a row, including a last-gasp 3-2 defeat to city rivals Inter last weekend, and now sit 10th.

A 0-0 draw against AEK Athens in the Europa League on Thursday has done little to lift the dark clouds hanging over San Siro, but Montella believes a turn in his side's fortunes is on the horizon.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference, Montella said: "I want to see the lads play with courage and freedom from pressure. These are the keys to get that spark we are lacking.

"We must win with determination and unity, as that is what we need.

"Genoa are a very tough side to face. They force the opposition to play badly and press all over the pitch with some very tight marking. They could win or lose against anyone, so we must be sharp and courageous.

"It won't be a game based on possession football, because Genoa won't allow us that, so I imagine it'll be a scrappy match and we have to be clinical.

"If we had put one of those chances in against AEK Athens, it would've completely changed."

Despite enduring a torrid run of results, Montella admits he is happy with Milan's performances and pointed to their high volume of shots as proof of their attacking intent.

"We're missing the results, but not the performances," he added.

"The only problem for the club is the lack of victories. If we had beaten Inter, I would've been treated like some sort of genius.

"I understand the disappointment of the fans, but it's down to the results and not the performances. The statistics show that only Napoli had more shots than us this season."