Roma coach Paulo Fonseca was delighted with their 3-0 Europa League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Roma won the first-leg of their round 16 tie 3-0 thanks to goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini, Stephan El Shaarawy and Gianluca Mancini.
“We were certain Shakhtar would play like this. They are very strong on the counter and we prepared well, waited for the right moment to press, learned when to sit back at the times we had to. It was a very good performance," Fonseca told Sky Italia.
“It was not an easy game. I know Shakhtar very well, it's a team with a lot of quality and they didn't just beat Real Madrid this season, they held Inter to two draws.
“They clam up well, are very strong on the counter, but we didn't allow them many opportunities to attack. It was important to seek depth with our passes, because they might defend, but they keep the team very tight and quite a high line.
“Mancini is struggling physically, he is playing every game and made the sacrifice to stay on the field. We have players who are tired, but they all want to play. That spirit and sense of belonging is very important for a coach to hear."
