Nainggolan: Atalanta is never an easy place to go

See what the Belgian midfielder had to say about the game, the Serie A race so far and the form of some of his teammates...

You kick things off after the international break with a trip to Atalanta. It’s the first in a really tough run of fixtures for you, with Lazio, AC Milan and Juventus to come in Serie A as well as the last two Europa League group-stage matches.

“Yes, we have lots of matches coming up. We’re hoping to welcome back some of the players who aren’t at peak fitness and we want to continue producing the kind of form we were showing before the break. We have to take it one game at a time and we’re starting with Atalanta – it won’t be an easy game because they’re doing very well at the moment. They’ve caused real problems for teams at home. We need to keep winning if we want to dream so that means getting a result at Bergamo.”

Is this spell going to be decisive?

“All matches are decisive – if you win and the other teams keep winning too then you keep yourself up there. It’s definitely a really important period as we have some matches against other big teams and the derby. They’re games that can give us a real boost and strengthen our belief in what we’re doing. That said, every game from now until the end of the season is going to be important. They’re all going to be tough because all teams want to do well against Roma – they want to show what they can do.”

You dropped two important points at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia last year. How hard a place is it to go?

“It’s always been a tough away trip because their fans really spur them on, and now that they’re doing so well that’s going to be amplified even further. They’ve been taking points off everyone, but we need to play the way we did against Napoli, with conviction and character. We want to get the win.”

Atalanta have lots of young faces in their team. Who do you think their main threats are?

“Youth is important for any club. Atalanta have always had a great youth academy and every now and then they produce a few good players. That doesn’t just go for Atalanta – there are lots of promising players in the league this year and they can all make their mark.”

You’ve scored in both your last two trips to Atalanta…

“Yeah, and I hope to score again this year! Whether or not I score is not important – the only thing that matters is the result. I’ll do my bit, as everyone will, but it’s irrelevant who scores. Getting the win is the only thing that counts.”

How much can Roma still improve?

“I don’t know – I can only say that we’re working well and trying to get better and better. I don’t know how far we can go, but I know that we’ll continue doing what we’re doing and keep our focus at 100%.”

Can you match Juventus?

“Given how they’re playing at the moment, I think so. It depends on us – if we fail to win a game then they can increase the gap.”

Both Luciano Spalletti and Daniele De Rossi have said that there is a different atmosphere in the dressing room now. Is that true?

“Yeah, perhaps there is. When we watch some of the teams at the top of the table play, we realise that we’re better than them and that boosts our belief that we can achieve big things. We’ve spoken between ourselves and said that there are teams that are struggling more than last year, so we should try to make the most of it and perhaps pull off something amazing this year.”

The boss has called you a 'warrior' and said that the whole team could do with having your competitive edge…

“That’s always been my style of play – I’m never happy to rest on my laurels. I give my all in every match and every training session. That’s the way I’m used to working.”

Are Mohamed Salah and Edin Dzeko the key threats?

“Dzeko’s goals are really helping us out this year. He’s doing well – last year he always gave his all, but he didn’t quite get what he deserved. The fans expected a lot from him and he wanted to live up to that. He’s a lot more relaxed this year and he’s in fantastic form.

"Salah is doing his job – he’s a great player and he has the kind of qualities that can win you a game. They’re both in great form this year and we hope they can both keep it up.”