DI FRANCESCO'S KEY PRE-BARCELONA COMMENTS
Eusebio Di Francesco held his pre-match press conference on Tuesday to preview Roma's Champions League quarter-final clash against Barcelona. The Giallorossi head to the Camp Nou on Wednesday night to face the Spanish league leaders, with kick-off scheduled for 20:45 CET.
ON ANY INJURY UPDATES...
“In my opinion Barcelona are a good enough team on their own without getting the added help of any hints on who we might play, not that I think that they would base their whole plan around which line-up we put out anyway. Nainngolan is an important player for us. Between today and tomorrow he will go through some tests so that we can know for sure if he’ll be able to play or not: he has about a 50% chance right now.
"Pellegrini is back and he will take part in pre-match preparations with the rest of the squad. Before this game, more than any other, I have looked to keep everyone on their toes: no-one is guaranteed to play, anyone can make the difference for us. Tomorrow it doesn’t matter who’s on the pitch, in whatever position; tomorrow it will be Roma on that pitch, not individuals. That’s the message I’ve given to the lads: we must play as a team, now more than ever.”
ON BARCELONA'S THREAT...
“In all of their Champions League games, Barca have only conceded one goal: my point is, despite their aggressive style, they’ve barely allowed their opponents anything at all. We have to go in with a positive approach, looking to hurt them where we can. The lads have earned this chance, so why not take it on with optimism, without pressure?”
ON CHOOSING BETWEEN DEFREL AND EL SHAARAWY...
“It’s not even certain either will play, nothing is guaranteed. They have different characteristics, Defrel certainly has fewer minutes in his legs and fewer training sessions under his belt. Stephen has had more continuity and he might be better able to handle a full 90 minutes. They’re different players, the team will play differently with each of them: one is good at working inside with the ball, the other at getting behind the defence. It will also depend on how the match goes.”
ON GOING IN WITHOUT PRESSURE...
“We’re going up against a team that forces you onto the back foot. You can see it in the statistics and in their approach. Every footballer, though, has to have as part of their temperament the ability to handle the pressure of these situations, particularly if you play for an important club. You have to be prepared to take risks, to believe in better.
"The mentality that ‘what will be will be’ is dangerous though; our objective is to prepare as much as possible so that we can make it a competitive match.”
(Photo LaPresse)
