Alberto De Rossi: These boys can fight

The Giallorossi U19s edged past the hosts with 1-0 win, midfielder Jose Machin getting the all-important goal when he opened his Roma account in the 38th minute.

"The team showed they can fight today," the coach declared after the match. "They're a talented bunch with great technical ability. They can play some lovely football but they also know how to dig in and fight when needed. That's important because you won't go far if you're not prepared to scrap and do the running."

De Rossi was also pleased with his players' desire to improve themselves. He added: "The good thing about this team is that they try to work on their weaknesses. They've shown a lot more character in these last four games, for example."

The coach then explained that three points today were by no means a foregone conclusion. “Latina were much as we expected them to be. They're a strong side and very hard to beat at home, which is where they've picked up most of their points. They're a tough nut crack for anyone so we're doubly pleased with the win.”

The win takes Roma up to 26 points in the table but they remain in third behind Frosinone (28) and Empoli (27), who both claimed victories today.

De Rossi's boys will have a chance to leapfrog at least one of their rivals before the Christmas break when they host current leaders Frosinone at Trigoria next weekend.