Roma boss Spalletti eyes fourth spot

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has his sights set firmly on the Champions League after his team’s seventh win in nine matches moved them to within five points of fourth spot in Serie A.

Brazilian forward Julio Baptista scored a stunning bicycle kick two minutes into injury time to earn the Romans a 1-0 victory at Torino which means that they have taken 22 points out of the last 27 available.

Having begun the season with just two wins and six defeats from their first 10 games — a run that left them just above the relegation zone — Roma are now once again challenging amongst the front-runners.

“We began the game well then came under a lot of pressure by Torino on a difficult pitch and we won thanks to a great goal by Baptista,” said Spalletti.

“We’re happy and now we can look forward. I’m very happy with the defence because they haven’t conceded a goal in two games but also because they don’t leave much space for shots and the whole team is keeping the ball well.”

Roma’s title hopes disappeared in those first 10 matches but they are through to the Champions League second round, where they will face Arsenal, as well as the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.

There they will play Inter Milan, the champions and the team they beat in last season’s final.

But Roma’s main aim for the season will be to ensure they finish at least fourth and guarantee their participation in next season’s Champions League, otherwise they will have to win this season’s competition, for which the final will be played in Rome.

They may be back on track but Spalletti realises there is still some way to go.

“We still have to earn a lot of good results to make up for our terrible start,” he added.

“We need to win in the same breathtaking manner that we have done in our last few matches.”