"They are strong defensively, but we could have done better"

Roma struck the first blow in the Europa League semi-final tie against Bayer Leverkusen. Spanish coach Xabi Alonso appeared in the press room and gave his first impressions on the matter.

"We are not satisfied, obviously we didn't want this defeat, but there is the second leg. We know what we have to do. There will be no calculations, we will have to win and be focused," he said.

Despite the minutes of dominance, the former player pointed out that they made mistakes: "From a tactical point of view, you expect to face a strong team. They moved the ball very well. But in the first ten minutes of the match we had good chances, which we did not convert.... They are strong in defense, but we know we could have done better. But let's think about next week, all is not lost, we will prepare properly".

Finally, Xabi Alonso spoke about his reunion with Mourinho: "It's been a long time since we met, it's been lovely to meet again after almost ten years."

 

May 12, 2023