Spalletti: The players showed real grit and determination

The Giallorossi went behind early and, without the services of top goalscorer Edin Dzeko, could have been forgiven for struggling to respond against the league leaders - but Daniele De Rossi, Stephan El Shaarawy and Radja Nainggolan delivered the goals to turn the game around.

As a result, Roma remain a point ahead of Napoli in the race for Champions League qualification.

“When you have to win games and you’ve got a rival like Napoli close behind, it becomes tough to overcome certain challenges," Spalletti said. "We performed well this evening, with a few absentees.

"Tonight we played with real grit, having to make changes at times, and knowing that we’d have to suffer.

"We were intelligent and had our heads in the game, to fulfil the only objective we cared about: winning this game.”

How important was the team’s psychological approach to the game?

“We said this ahead of the game: it’s not just the win that counts. We wanted to show who we are, to show that we have the determination to change things, and that we can keep on working, believing in our ability to reach our objective sooner or later. Even though now it means nothing, there is still that that idea in your mind that you may finish second to opponents who have that animal inside their bellies, which comes out every time you play them and shows you who they are.

"Winning this game is testament to what these guys are worth. I think [Luca] Banti refereed the game well. He was consistent in his decision-making, letting us know what he was willing to accept.”

Could you tell us what you think of [Diego] Perotti’s performance?

“He’s a player that needs the ball at his feet and needs space to hurt the opposition. When you ask him to do something different, he doesn’t feel quite so at ease. He played well but it was below his usual standards, which you could see from his face when he left the field. It’s important to take responsibility.

"He has a set of qualities and you make it difficult for him if you put him between the midfield and the opponents’ defence. If he picks up the ball and speeds forward, he causes damage. He may have produced less than he’s capable of, but he still played really well in terms of commitment and sacrifice for the team. [Mohamed] Salah, meanwhile, picks up the ball between the lines, can turn and start ten metres in front of the opposition centre back.

"He also likes to come in from the flank, onto his left foot, because he’s seen that he gets goals that way. On the other wing, perhaps he’d have set up more for [Edin] Dzeko. But put him out there and see how he reacts!”

Do you want to say anything to the fans about your future?

“These two games are must-wins. Right now, it’s better to have a clear view, without throwing dust into the air by talking about futures and contracts, as we’ve already said in the dressing room. That kind of dust could stop us seeing so clearly. We need a clear view of our objective in these two games.

"In the dressing room, we only spoke about tonight’s game, how to disrupt their passing lanes, how to defend on the front foot. We had difficulty in the first part of the match. We didn’t play clean balls towards our front men and they forced us to play high balls, to launch it forward.

"But with an attacking trio of Perotti, Salah and [Stephan] El Shaarawy, we didn’t get any of them. Our players did really well to find a way through; it wasn’t easy.”