Alberto De Rossi: My players proved they can dig in

The Giallorossi will now take on Lazio in the last eight on 21 December.

“The lads have proved that on top of playing well, they can dig in and fight too,” said the Primavera boss after the final whistle. “I was pleased to see the team react during the game – that shows that these youngsters are maturing into adults.

"As well as winning these games, some of them are now showing that they’re ready to step up to the senior game.”

The match was decided in the second half, after Riccardo Marchizza dispatched a penalty won by Mirko Antonucci.

“It was a tricky match, as we were expecting,” continued De Rossi. “They’re a quality side and held their own physically. They have some technically gifted, pacey players. We knew it was going to be hard work and wouldn’t be over until the very end. They’re a very good team.”

It was a good performance today, despite the absences of Edoardo Soleri and Marco Tumminello.

“The players involved today did well. We lined up with a slightly more lightweight forward line, which brought some different qualities to the table. We had to play the ball about constantly, as the opposition were pressing us hard and cutting off the channels. It was a bit of a struggle – if we’d had a more physical attack then we’d have been able to mix it up playing in the air and on the ground.”

There were a few issues with misplaced passes in the first half. Is that simply down to it being your third game in a week, or did Crotone’s pressing have an effect?

“It was a bit of both. We’ve just come through a very demanding run when the matches were coming thick and fast. We weren’t at our scintillating best today and we made a few too many mistakes, plus we were prevented from getting the ball up in the air because of the type of players we had out there.”

You can’t stop winning at the moment – does that ratchet up the pressure or simply boost your confidence?

“It boosts our belief – no doubt about it. Every match is different but even during the games, the lads are making the right decisions so that’s fantastic for us to see. They’re developing as players, which is vital. They are able to read the game, they make the right calls and there is an amazing belief and spirit within the group.”