Roma coach Paulo Fonseca was in confident mood in the wake of his side's 4-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir on Thursday night. The Giallorossi got their Europa League campaign off to a winning start, thanks in large part to strong performances from Nicolo Zaniolo and Edin Dzeko - who both notched a goal and assist each. Justin Kluivert added a late goal, while the deadlock was broken just before half-time by a Basaksehir own goal.
Unlike in the Lazio match on 1 September, your team gave very little away to the opposition today. How did manage to get your defensive set-up looking so different?
“The Lazio game was very important for us to understand what we weren't doing well – lots of things didn't work for us in that match. We spoke together as a team to change things and become more aggressive. We needed to have the ball at our feet. The players are learning and I'm happy with the way they played today.”
Your team seem to offer the ball carrier lots of options. Is that typical of your brand of football?
“The lads know they have to offer the ball carrier different options – that's very important for our team. They all need to be moving and creating openings. We need to be even more compact as a unit, especially when the opponents close down our defenders.”
Which area of the team are you happiest with at the moment?
“I'm very confident because all the players have understood what I want. They're receptive to my football philosophy. It's important to keep clean sheets and we're doing well in attack at the moment.”
How did you convince Edin Dzeko to be your centre forward?
“By talking to him. I spent a lot of time chatting with Dzeko. It was important for him to understand that all the players, the club and the fans wanted him to stay. The football we're playing suits him perfectly and he's realised how important it was for him to remain here at Roma.”
(Photo Getty Images)
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Source: legaseriea.it