Ranieri: ‘We’re not there yet’

(GSM) – Claudio Ranieri has tempered the entusiasm that was caused by Roma’s solid win in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. The Giallorossi beat Udinese 2-0 but Ranieri warned his men not to get too excited.

The convincing result at the Olimpico yesterday puts Roma in a commanding position, but the second leg of this semi-final is not until April 14.

“It was important to win without conceding on home turf, but even then two goals do not put us in a secure position,” insisted Ranieri.

“The second leg is not for two months and anything can happen in that time. We can get worse and Udinese can improve. We have to wait and see.”

Francesco Totti played the entire 90 minutes and is recovering well from his recurring knee problem.

“If I am to leave the captain out, I always do so with a heavy heart,” said the coach.

Udinese face a difficult task reaching the final, which will also be played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

“We were not our usual selves,” said Udinese coach Gianni De Biasi. “We were set out well and didn’t run huge risks other than the goals, but against teams like Roma you cannot make mistakes.

“Safety in Serie A is our primary objective and we’ll do everything to achieve it. We have what it takes.”