Cristante and N’Dicka: ‘Roma ready for final sprint, points worth double’
Bryan Cristante and Evan N’Dicka warn Roma that ‘from now on the points are worth double’ in the race for a Champions League spot. ‘We must be ready for the final sprint.’
It took an hour to break Cremonese down at the Stadio Olimpico this evening, as the Giallorossi made set plays count, scoring from two corners.
Cristante nodded in the first, then flicked on the second for N’Dicka to finish it off from six yards.
Niccolò Pisilli completed the 3-0 rout late on, making the most of hard work from Donyell Malen to sweep into the far bottom corner.
Roma catch Napoli in joint third place
“We knew considering the other results this weekend that it was a very important match for us,” Cristante told DAZN Italia.
Considering the assist was a back-heel flick, did he win the Serie A Man of the Match award for that or the goal?
“I think the goal was the best thing, as we needed to break the deadlock, but it was a good assist too.”
Gian Piero Gasperini said that Roma will have to fight to the very end for a top four finish and Champions League qualification.
“We’re in good shape, we are improving and doing really well so far, but from now on the points are worth double. We must be ready for the final sprint, we’ve achieved nothing yet,” agreed Cristante.
Roma knew that the other results this weekend were going their way, as Milan, Napoli and Juventus all lost, although Como and Atalanta have put themselves right back into the race for the top four.
It is an ideal position to be in, creating a four-point cushion from fifth-placed Juventus before they go head-to-head next weekend.
“We worked really hard together as a team, including the Svilar save, to keep a clean sheet,” N’Dicka told DAZN Italia.
“We’re ready, we won tonight, and hopefully we can do the same next week with Juve.”
That was Roma’s 12th Serie A clean sheet of the season, and they have the best defensive record overall, conceding only 16 goals.