AS ROMA NEWS – A soccer battle in one of Europe’s most fascinating stadiums. Tonight, at 6:45 p.m., Roma will take the field at the San Mamés to face Athletic Club in the return leg of the Europa League round of 16. After the 2-1 first leg success, the Giallorossi are called upon to defend the lead in an environment that promises to be fiery, with the Basque public having suspended their supporters’ strike to push the team toward a comeback.
Claudio Ranieri, a veteran of challenges of this caliber, has already warned his team: no calculations, no thinking about a draw. “If we take the field thinking about managing, we lose it. We have to attack and defend in eleven, stay compact and never lose our identity,” the coach told a press conference. The San Mamés, nicknamed la Catedral for the mystique that surrounds it, will be an arena worthy of a big European night.
ROMA HUNGRY FOR QUARTERS – Roma’s path to the Europa League is not only a matter of prestige, but also a key goal for the club’s future. Eventual qualification to the quarterfinals would bring significant economic benefits and bring the Giallorossi closer to a dream that seems written in destiny: the May 21 final, to be played in Bilbao itself. Getting there, however, will require heart, character and, above all, a performance equal to the opponent. Athletic Club showed in the first leg that they are a dangerous team, quick in transitions and capable of striking with direct actions. At San Mamés, pushed by their public, the Basques will raise the tempo from the first minute, trying to overturn the result with an aggressiveness that Roma will have to know how to handle with maturity.
Ranieri knows this well, which is why he has asked his men to stay focused, avoiding distractions and slumps. Not least because on the pitch will be a Dybala with a special motivation: the Argentine is just one goal away from the milestone of 200 career goals and has a score to settle with the Europa League, after the disappointment of the final lost last year in Budapest. “That game left a bitter taste, we were close to an important trophy. But now we have to think only about this challenge,” said the Joya, determined to drag the team.
EITHER IN OR OUT – The Roma team that shows up in Bilbao is a team on the rise, capable of maintaining an excellent performance in the return leg in the league. Ranieri’s impact has been evident, both in defensive solidity and in the ability to adapt to different challenges. Now a further leap forward is needed: to show that they can intelligently handle a European inside-out competition, without fear and without speculating on the result. The San Mamés will be a crucial test for the Giallorossi’s ambitions. Roma wants the quarterfinals and wants to win them on the field, with character and personality.
Sources: Il Messaggero / Gazzetta dello Sport / Il Tempo / Corriere dello Sport
The article Night of fire at San Mamès: Roma in the hunt for the quarters comes from Giallorossi.net, exclusive news, news and soccer market news.
