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After derby, Roma manager glad to have his 'superhero'

After derby, Roma manager glad to have his 'superhero'

Following his side’s triumphant Derby della Capitale victory, Roma manager, and former player, Eusebio di Francesco spoke about the match, and his ‘superhero,’ Radja Nainggolan.

“It’s very satisfying for us the way we approached the game, as until the Lazio penalty, I saw real domination from Roma,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“To play a certain way, you need good physical condition, otherwise you can’t press and be ready for their rapid counter-attacks. We stepped up the pace in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, pinned Lazio back into their own half and fully deserved the victory.

“I was impressed with the way we stepped up the pressure, as to be aggressive you need to run risks, and it was a risk against a Lazio side that excels in diagonal balls and counter-attacks. I think in the first half, we didn’t make enough vertical passes.

Speaking about Man of The Match Radja Nainggolan, whose health was in doubt right up until the lineups were announced, di Francesco was effusive in his praise.

“Nainggolan really did have a groin strain eight days ago, so he showed an incredible ability to push through pain. They call him Ninja, but he’s more like a superhero!”