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Roma goalkeeper Julio Sergio has hailed the impact of new coach Claudio Ranieri ahead of the Europa League game against Basle.
The Serie A outfit head into the Group E match at St Jakob-Park with a weight lifted from their shoulders following Sunday's last-gasp 2-1 win over Siena.
That result brought an end to the Giallorossi's sticky start to the domestic campaign, which brought two successive defeats and the resignation of coach Luciano Spalletti.
Substitute John Arne Riise struck in the last minute to hand Ranieri victory in his first game at the helm last weekend, and 30-year-old keeper Sergio believes Roma can build on that as they begin their European campaign in earnest.
"At Siena we achieved an important victory and we have put into practice what Ranieri has asked of us," said Sergio.
"We are a team with great players and it is difficult to understand what has happened in the first matches. Now we hope to improve.
"Ranieri wants a more compact team, we know that we are scoring goals and creating many chances. We must try to defend better and then one of them up front can make a opening and settle the game."
Indeed, scoring goals in Europe this season has been far from a problem for the capital club.
They scored 20 goals in just four games en route to this stage, with Jeremy Menez chipping in with three and captain Francesco Totti netting an astonishing 10 times, including hat-tricks against both KAA Gent and MFK Kosice.
The manner of those victories coupled with the form of the talismanic Totti has raised expectations of a solid showing in Europe's second-tier competition, and Sergio believes the Romans can go all the way.
"We can get close to the final, and it is also possible to win the European title," he declared.
Like tomorrow's opponents, Basel have made an underwhelming start to their domestic season and sit in seventh place in the 10-team Super League after nine games.
They are already 10 points behind leaders Young Boys, but, like Roma, have reasons to be optimistic after also hitting the goal trail in the Europa League qualifying rounds.
The Swiss side scored 20 goals in six qualifying games prior to the group stage, with Marco Streller, Federico Almerares and Alexander Frei all netting at least three apiece.
That sequence bodes well for new coach Thorsten Fink, who has a tough job on his hands to emulate his predecessor, Christian Gross, who was sacked after 10 years at the club over the summer having delivered the club four league titles and four Swiss Super Cup triumphs.
The Serie A outfit head into the Group E match at St Jakob-Park with a weight lifted from their shoulders following Sunday's last-gasp 2-1 win over Siena.
That result brought an end to the Giallorossi's sticky start to the domestic campaign, which brought two successive defeats and the resignation of coach Luciano Spalletti.
Substitute John Arne Riise struck in the last minute to hand Ranieri victory in his first game at the helm last weekend, and 30-year-old keeper Sergio believes Roma can build on that as they begin their European campaign in earnest.
"At Siena we achieved an important victory and we have put into practice what Ranieri has asked of us," said Sergio.
"We are a team with great players and it is difficult to understand what has happened in the first matches. Now we hope to improve.
"Ranieri wants a more compact team, we know that we are scoring goals and creating many chances. We must try to defend better and then one of them up front can make a opening and settle the game."
Indeed, scoring goals in Europe this season has been far from a problem for the capital club.
They scored 20 goals in just four games en route to this stage, with Jeremy Menez chipping in with three and captain Francesco Totti netting an astonishing 10 times, including hat-tricks against both KAA Gent and MFK Kosice.
The manner of those victories coupled with the form of the talismanic Totti has raised expectations of a solid showing in Europe's second-tier competition, and Sergio believes the Romans can go all the way.
"We can get close to the final, and it is also possible to win the European title," he declared.
Like tomorrow's opponents, Basel have made an underwhelming start to their domestic season and sit in seventh place in the 10-team Super League after nine games.
They are already 10 points behind leaders Young Boys, but, like Roma, have reasons to be optimistic after also hitting the goal trail in the Europa League qualifying rounds.
The Swiss side scored 20 goals in six qualifying games prior to the group stage, with Marco Streller, Federico Almerares and Alexander Frei all netting at least three apiece.
That sequence bodes well for new coach Thorsten Fink, who has a tough job on his hands to emulate his predecessor, Christian Gross, who was sacked after 10 years at the club over the summer having delivered the club four league titles and four Swiss Super Cup triumphs.
Source: www.espnstar.com
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