Roma travels to Naples to try to secure their first win in a big match this season. Returning with three points would send a positive signal in the fight for Champions League qualification.
On the eve of the match, scheduled for Sunday, February 15th at 8:45 PM, Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at a press conference from Trigoria.
The Giallorossi coach addressed several topics.
Regarding the players available at the Maradona, he explained: “We’ll have to see today. Soulé had a slightly more difficult week than the others; we’ll decide this afternoon. The same goes for Dybala, who has trained consistently. 100% seems excessive to me, but everyone is determined to be healthy.”
Gasperini praised Pisilli’s performances: “Young players have development paths, there are certainly turning points, and I hope there are more for him. I echo all the compliments he’s received.”
And on the difficulty of head-to-head matches, he stated: “We need to make a leap in technical quality. There’s a gap that has narrowed over time; we’ve put in an excellent performance against Milan recently. We’ve improved since the start of the first half of the season, even though we’re experiencing this crisis that’s bothering us. We’re confident we’re fully competitive. This constant lack of one player or another is slowing us down. We’re enthusiastic, and tomorrow we’ll have another answer to these questions.”
For Gasperini, Champions League qualification isn’t about Maradona and the match against Juventus: “These are undoubtedly two important matches; they’re head-to-head matches and carry a higher value than those against other teams. They’re always worth three points, and I don’t think the Champions League odds vary much from one season to the next. They’re important matches, but not decisive. They’re important especially in light of what was said before, the ability to overcome certain teams.”
Gasperini returned to playing once a week due to injuries: “It’s hard to say because sometimes multiple injuries occur in the same area. Even strange injuries, because Soulé has a groin strain, Dybala has a knee, Ferguson has an ankle, and El Shaarawy has a tendon. The only one who’s pulled a bit is Koné, but both he and Hermoso should be back next week. You leave it like this, you think you’ll get some players back, but instead it takes another week.”
And regarding his team’s current form, he said: “We’ve always thought about our own path. This is a championship where there have been different periods, many teams have been involved. Inter has grown a lot, as have Juventus and Milan. Napoli has had good moments and some difficulties due to defections. After 24 matchdays, we’re there. Then there’s also Como and Atalanta. But this is the Italian championship. Objectives and results aren’t achieved with matches to spare; we have to fight until the end.”
Gasperini reviewed Zaragoza’s condition: “He’s been here for two weeks, and the more time passes, the more he’s integrating. He’ll need some time to get used to it, but he’ll do that through playing and training.” On his difficulty scoring from set pieces: “It’s undoubtedly a limitation of ours. We’re among the last in this category, and those goals are as good as any other. We need to do better.”
Gasperini commented on the busy schedule: “I’m not arguing; I respect everyone’s advice. If you ask me, based on my experience, playing in the cup has helped me. Then there’s the risk of injury, because the vast majority of injuries happen during matches. In many other respects, playing in the cup has always helped me; it’s helped me grow. I’d always prefer to play in the cup competitions, and the Champions League even more so.”
He concluded with this on Pellegrini and the players at his disposal: “I don’t even know the players I have available. I have to check that first and then I’ll make my decisions. First we need to understand how we’re doing. We’ll train today and then we’ll decide tomorrow.”
