Despite a 1-0 defeat to Juventus, Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco was positive about the performance of his side.
Mario Mandzukic’s eighth Serie A goal of the season was enough to give Juventus the win, with the Giallorossi now having just two wins from their last nine Serie A matches.
“In the first half we had out moments against them,” Di Francesco told the press. “We were good at keeping the ball in the second, but worse at creating chances.
“We weren’t afraid of facing great players. Players like Mandzukic are a positive example.
“I saw a lot of good things in the second 45 minutes, we just missed a little in front of goal.
“We prepared for the game well, though Santon made a mistake in not going against the ball. We needed to have an almost perfect match, which we didn’t.
“We faced [Juventus] with no feat, and a lot of personality.”
Looking at positives from the game, Di Francesco clearly feels that Champions League qualification is still very much on the cards.
“There isn’t many points between the sides in the Serie A table,” Di Francesco said. “This is an advantage for us because Champions League qualification is still close.
“Florenzi’s substitution was a tactical one, as I wanted a player with other features.
“Dzeko played well when he came on, I don’t know if he will start on Wednesday [against Sassuolo] as it’s a long time since we saw him on the field.
“El Shaarawy and Pellegrini could be called for the next game.”
