Strootman: Job done - now we focus on Qarabag

The Giallorossi put in a comfortable display to see off the Serie A newcomers, with Strootman himself grabbing the middle goal as both Edin Dzeko and Lorenzo Pellegrini also got on the scoresheet.

Roma's next game sees them take on Qarabag in the Champions League - with a place in the knockout rounds up for grabs.

“We didn't 'expect' to win," Strootman said. "You might think a home game against SPAL is easy but it never is, although of course it does make things easier when they have a man sent off 10 minutes into the game.

"We played well in the first half then eased off a touch in the second and conceded. The main thing is we got the three points in the bag. Now we can focus on Qarabag.”

It keeps your good run of form going...

“There are lots of areas where we need to improve. We should have got three points against Genoa too instead of a draw. We're doing well but we have to work even harder if we want to challenge at the top.”

Was scoring today a confidence boost for you?

“It sure was! It felt like three years since I last scored for Roma. It's good for me and good for the team. I still need to get a bit of my old confidence back but we're working hard to improve.”

Consistency is the name of the game at the top. Do you think Roma are now on a par with Napoli and Juventus?

“You don't ask us that question when we lose or draw, only when we win. They're both very good teams but we're focused on ourselves. We have to keep knuckling down and performing well.”