Di Francesco on Fiorentina tie: There's no margin for error

The Giallorossi head to Florence for the quarter-final Coppa Italia tie against Stefano Pioli’s men – looking to bounce back after the disappointment of Sunday’s 3-3 draw with Atalanta.

The game in Bergamo saw Roma squander an early 3-0 advantage, and Di Francesco believes his side will be hungry to bounce back from that disappointment.

“The good thing about football is that you have another match to put things right straight away,” Di Francesco told Roma TV.

“We did very well in the first half at Atalanta but we were lacking in every respect in the second half. We need to improve and given that it’s a one-legged tie tomorrow, we have very little margin for error.”

Given that Bryan Cristante and Steven Nzonzi are suspended for the next league game, will they start at Fiorentina?

“They’ve played regularly and are in good physical shape so I will try to make full use of them tomorrow. Lorenzo Pellegrini has had a few small issues so I’ll need to evaluate him, but right now all I’m focused on is Fiorentina, not AC Milan.”

In your last two games the attack has done very well, but there have been problems in defence…

“It’s the same thing again in a way. We thought we’d rediscovered some defensive balance but the last two games have shown us that we still have a lot of work to do in terms of the mental side of things and our concentration levels. At times we’ve been too distracted for a team that has the ambition of qualifying for the Champions League again.”

How have Fiorentina changed after the signing of Luis Muriel?

“Tactically they’ve not changed much, but Muriel is the kind of player that can inject enthusiasm. I worked with him when he was younger, when I was the coach of Lecce. He’s got great potential, especially if he’s on his game. I hope he’s not tomorrow.”

How important is the Coppa Italia for Roma?

“It’s very important for us. That’s how it should be. The cup has become a really important competition for everyone, which is something I’m happy about. We’ll try to get through to the semi-finals, although we know that we’re playing away in front of the Viola fans.”