Need to Know: Di Francesco's key comments ahead of Shakhtar showdown

The boss called on his side to show the right mental approach, in order to achieve their aim of reaching the next round of the competition.

The Giallorossi are 2-1 down after the first leg.

"All of us have just one objective and that’s to get through this round and advance to the quarter-finals. To do that, we need to work collectively as a team," was Di Francesco said.

Check out what the Giallorossi boss had to say on six key topics below.

On building consistency...

"We can’t go out there thinking about only playing for 45 minutes. In the past we’ve lacked consistency in these games so I hope that everything we’ve gone through so far makes us realise just how important it is to maintain a consistent level throughout matches. We can’t afford to get it wrong tomorrow because we’re up against a good team. We want to qualify for the next round so we can’t afford to have just one good half."

On the first leg...

"Unlike the first leg, it’s important that we don’t let up if we take the lead. We need to maintain a balance, show our intelligence and be consistent in our performance. We need to avoid making defensive errors because we can’t afford to do that in a game like tomorrow’s."

On his approach to the game...

"We need to play with freedom and determination. Cocky is the wrong word, but we need to have a desire to do better than our opponents. It’s not about hedging our bets – it’s about winning. We need to make playing with freedom and a desire to hurt our opponents our trademark, so we can’t adopt a wait-and-see attitude. This team wants one thing and one thing only: to dominate games. We showed that we could go and get at Shakhtar in their half of the field, though we know we can’t do that for 90 minutes. They’re a good passing side."

On the game being a crossroads for the club...

"I think it’s a massive game. Qualifying for the next round is vital in terms of our ambition and desire and it would give the whole club a boost. It’s still too early to draw conclusions about our season. It’s an important match. Roma aren’t used to getting this far so I hope to get through to the next round alongside my players and the fans. I hope the fans act as our 12th man out there."

On the role the fans can play...

"Regardless of whether it’s 40,000, 50,000 or 60,000 fans at the stadium tomorrow, you need to feel like people are behind you when things get tough. Even if a player gets their first pass wrong, they need to know that the fans are with them."

On the game being a potential career highlight...

"I’m desperate to get this team through to the quarter-finals because I want to aim even higher. The objective is to keep going. We have a great chance – both me and the team. I’m not really thinking about myself. The team is one big family and I feel completely integrated into it."