Roma’s Claudio Ranieri ahead of first leg vs. Porto: “We need to play with intensity and focus.” | OneFootball

Following their weekend win over Venezia, Roma shift their attention back to the Europa League on Thursday.

The Giallorossi travel to Portugal to face-off against Porto for the first of their double-legged playoff tie. Speaking ahead of the match, Roma manager Claudio Ranieri met with the press to discuss tomorrow’s showdown.

“What I told the players stays between us,” began Ranieri. “Porto is a team with excellent possession, great technical quality, and intense pressing.”

“They aim to win the ball back quickly and have some very talented players. We’ll need a great performance.”

He continued, “We’ll need total focus. I expect an aggressive Porto, pushed by their fans. We know their playing style, though they can adapt. We need to play our game with intensity and confidence.”

“Yes, the tie is 180 minutes, but I want a Roma that plays the same way both home and away. We’re working on it. We’re not fully where I want us to be, but the players are working hard to deliver the satisfaction the fans expect.”

Adding, “I’m curious to see if this can be a turning point to our away form. Porto is in a similar situation to us. They are undergoing a total rebuild with a young squad, technically gifted and aggressive on the counter.”

“Both teams are a bit below what you’d expect from Roma and Porto historically. Whichever team advances will gain confidence and momentum to push further.”