Spalletti, I was sure Roma would win

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti admitted the pressure got to his players but he was proud of how his injury-ravaged team clawed back the first-leg deficit though Juan’s early goal. Even if Roma on penalties to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

“It was a very painful defeat but the team must be proud of what they did during the whole 90 minutes and extra time. I confess that I was sure we’d win on penalties because we would have deserved it for what we did during the game despite all the difficulties”.

“We have to learn to lose and accept defeats with our heads up because we did everything we had to do. It was a heroic night for my players, for what they did in a very difficult period. We had several injuries ahead of the game and players who were forced to play despite not being 100 per cent”.