Fonseca: We'll look to attack, as we always do

The Giallorossi take a 1-0 advantage into the second leg at the Ghelamco Arena, as both sides look to book their place in the last-16 of the competition.

The game gets underway at 18:55 local time.

Aleksandar Kolarov has played 90 minutes in both of your last two matches, against Gent in the first leg and then against Lecce. Can he manage a third match in a row?

“We’ll see tomorrow, but Kolarov can play three matches in a row without any problems.”

This is a huge match for Gent. What kind of game are you expecting?

“It’s a massive game for us – we want to get through to the next round. That said, the most important thing is for us to concentrate on the type of game it is. We need to play with ambition and imagine we’re starting from 0-0. We need to play with courage, like we did in the last game.

"We know it’s going to be a difficult game because our opponents haven’t been beaten here and they always score at home. They’ll have extra motivation tomorrow – the tie is still open. We need to focus because it’s an important game for us.”

In Europe, the teams that attack seem to be the ones that go through. That’s an approach you always use – will it be the same tomorrow?

“Yes, we can’t just think about defending. You can’t just focus on that. We want to play the way we always do. We know it’s important to score in games like these and to do that we need to play the way we always do: in their half, not in ours. That’s always the same. We need ambition. It’s important that we score tomorrow.”

In Italy it’s often said that Serie A is very different to playing in Europe. Do you believe that? Are Roma more of a European side?

“We all know that in the Europa League the games are a lot more open and the ties are played over two legs. It’s not a marathon – one team is knocked out and the other team progresses. That’s the reason why the games are more open and I prefer that. Having said that, you do get different kind of games in these competitions.”

Will you change anything from the first leg?

“We know that Gent are a very good side, as they showed in Rome. They’re physical and robust. They’ll want to win and they have lots of good players. It will be tough.”

No Italian team has got to the final since this competition was rebranded as the Europa League – and Roma have never got past the Round of 16 stage. Does the team understand the opportunity this competition represents?

“I don’t like making too many future plans. We can’t think about the future too much – we need to focus on tomorrow. The next game is always the most important, but I sense that the team has the ambition to progress and get through to the next round.”

Are Roma still lacking the kind of intensity we see from a team like Atalanta? Is that a physical issue?

“We have different ways of playing. Atalanta have been together for years and play in a different style. They’re a very good side, but we play a different kind of football. That said, I do like the way [Gian Piero] Gasperini’s side play, despite the fact that my idea of football is different. We can be quicker in attack and there are many things we can improve on, but we’re only at the start of a process and there are many things we can get better at. I’m sure that in the future we’ll be better going forward, without a doubt.”

You faced Gent when you were in charge of Shakhtar in 2016. Do you think the club has grown since then?

“This is a different team to that one. They have a different coach too and he’s changed their style of play. They’re clearly two different teams, but this one is definitely stronger than the one from a few years ago.”