Gasperini previews Bologna rematch: “It’s do or die.” | OneFootball

Roma faces a crucial Europa League clash against Bologna.

The Giallorossi are playing for qualification at the Olimpico after last Thursday’s 1-1 draw at the Dall’Ara stadium and are hoping to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at a pre-match press conference: “Koné and Celik trained separately, today we’ll assess their condition during training. Tomorrow is a decisive, do-or-die match, different from the league. There’s no draw; a winner must emerge, so the full 90 minutes are guaranteed, with the possibility of extra time and penalties, just like in European competition. These are slightly different matches than the league, certainly, but perhaps for that very reason, they’re even more fascinating and unique.”

Gasperini continued: “There have already been so many important matches to continue this season with our goals, which are always better and higher. This is a do-or-die game, as I said before, so we know full well that it’s a match that potentially gives you the opportunity to play another game or two. I don’t really like the word ‘watershed,’ but it captures the importance of the game: you’re in a competition where you can either keep moving forward or go out, so in that sense it’s definitely more important than a league game.”

The coach then commented on Wesley’s sending-off in Como: “Looking back at the footage, sometimes when you feel like you’re being made fun of, you have to look a bit silly. Let’s put it that way. And that way, we don’t make it harder for anyone.”

The former Atalanta coach continued: “All the reactions on social media, from fans and insiders, must be accepted, both good and bad. We must focus on working as hard as possible to try to give satisfaction and achieve results. We have a clear conscience: the team’s commitment is total, and this gives us peace of mind. We all want to achieve the best, but what the team is doing is extraordinary. For me, it’s very positive. I also said this to the players, not to sugarcoat the pill, but because I truly believe that this group, since the start of the season, has demonstrated great professionalism, determination, and dedication, striving to give their all.”

Gasperini then discussed tomorrow’s do-or-die clash and whether it might be more advantageous to play this type of match: “I don’t know if it’s more congenial, because these are matches where the incident becomes even more decisive than in the league, given that the chances for recovery are smaller. This is a return match, so you need to be focused and pay attention to many other aspects, just like when you’re playing a final. Scoring ability when you have chances and defensive solidity when you’re on the receiving end are very important. In any case, these are two teams that can bring prestige to Italian football, because they’ve always performed well in Europe.”

The coach then spoke about the difficult period the team is facing: “In those 40 days, there were many matches, and not just those. We faced Napoli, Juventus, Milan, Cagliari, and Cremonese, so you have to consider the entire process. In some games we performed better, in others less so. We had squad difficulties due to suspensions, injuries, and various situations, without these being excuses. Games like the ones against Genoa and Como were also affected by incidents. I don’t think the team had a bad attitude; in that regard, I don’t have much to criticize. We may not have played well in every game, yes, but it’s not just a question of aggression. Now there’s another game, and we want to play it to the best of our ability.”

Gasperini then discussed the possibility of seeing El Shaarawy back in the starting lineup tomorrow: “Just look at our squad. El Shaarawy was out for 40 days without training, completely out of action. He recovered for a couple of weeks, came on for a match, and played on Sunday, even earning a penalty. Right now, we won’t even have Venturino because he’s not on the squad list, so he, Pellegrini, and Zaragoza are up front. We’re moving forward with these options, and everyone is trying to give their all. El Shaarawy, now that he’s back, can be one of the key players.”

On Bologna’s possible rotation: “It doesn’t worry me. We’re tough; we even had to play for half an hour with ten men, so we struggled a lot, and that allows us to be ready for Bologna’s pace. Sometimes resting doesn’t necessarily mean feeling better. We’ll see tomorrow; it could be a plus for us.”

On the atmosphere at the Olimpico: “It’s always been like this, not just tomorrow. Maybe there will be something extra because it’s a do-or-die game, but the support at the Olimpico has always been a great asset for the team. At the beginning, we had more difficulty in home games, but then we managed to turn that around and find a more profitable way to get results. It was an initial worry, now we hope to continue like this until the end of the season.”

On the type of team he expects to face tomorrow: “I think both teams have the same ambition. Bologna have fallen behind in the league a bit, but they’ve recovered well and played in the Champions League last year. There’s not that much difference: they’re two teams with very similar qualities, as the matches we’ve played have shown. We know it will be a match as we’ve described it so far: balanced and open.”