Eusebio Di Francesco knew Shakhtar Donetsk “would make a mistake sooner or later” and Roma can “keep on dreaming” in the Champions League.
Edin Dzeko got the only goal on the night at the Olimpico, after a 2-1 first leg defeat in Ukraine, meaning the Giallorossi qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals.
“My team played with focus tonight, perhaps without as much quality in the final third, but we knew
Eusebio Di Francesco knew Shakhtar Donetsk “would make a mistake sooner or later” and Roma can “keep on dreaming” in the Champions League.
Edin Dzeko got the only goal on the night at the Olimpico, after a 2-1 first leg defeat in Ukraine, meaning the Giallorossi qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals.
“My team played with focus tonight, perhaps without as much quality in the final third, but we knew that sooner or later they would make a mistake and we’d pounce on it,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.
“We made a few too many mistakes in the first leg and they made the most of them. The thing I liked the most was seeing them in the locker room, as this was a victory achieved by men and a group that goes forward together.
“In terms of organisation, I think we are doing much better and we worked on a few set play routines too. We should’ve cut out more of their passes to send the full-backs forward in the first half and perhaps their goalkeeper had more touches than anyone else, as they kept passing it back.
“If you want a verdict for their attitude, I give it 10. Obviously, in technical terms, I’d give 6.5, but tactically they did try to do what I asked for, albeit not always with the right timing. These are things a team learns over time.”
Cengiz Under scored the decisive away goal, but was disappointing at the Olimpico this evening.
“Cengiz Under is still very young, he had a knock to his knee, but also players cannot be on top form in every single game, it’s not physiologically possible. I can assure everyone, he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Roma are in the final eight of the Champions League, so are there any opponents they want to avoid in Friday’s draw?
“I want to keep on dreaming with this team. I was glad to see so many people in the stands cheering us on, suffering together and relishing every moment. The victory is experiencing nights like this.
“If we face any opponent with this attitude and determination, then we can go far.”