Jose Mourinho has warned his players at AS Roma for to stay focused despite winning the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.
- Roma leads by 1-0
- Bove scores only goal of the game
- Mourinho warns players final is not in the bag
What is the news?
AS Roma had a good start to the semi-final clash with Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday. The Romans earned themselves a 1-0 win after a goal by 20-year-old Edoardo Bove after an hour of play. Despite the win, Roma had troubles keeping Leverkusen under control and the visitors looked threatening throughout the entire match and nearly scored a late equaliser.
What did Mourinho say?
After the game Mourinho warned his own players that despite their victory a good performance against Leverkusen next week is crucial for reaching the final. “It wasn’t an easy match also because mentally it was very difficult to play against a team like Bayer. The lads were good at winning this first half, but we haven’t done anything yet”, he told Sky Sports.
Mourinho then went on to praise the young goal scorer Bove: “He (Bove) is a boy with a great education, he is a professional who seems to be 30 years old. He is humble, last year, he played five minutes, this year he has increased his playing time. He knows how to control the game and his emotions better than him. Even without knowing his loved ones, he will certainly have a family of the highest level.”
What next?
With the 1-0 win over Leverkusen in the bag, Roma will be action in Italy this weekend. Bologna will be their opponent on Sunday as Mourinho’s side is still hoping to qualify for next year’s Champions League. Roma are currently sitting in seventh position, five points behind the top four.
