Alberto De Rossi: The lads outdid themselves against Empoli

"The team outdid themselves today," said the Giallorossi coach post-match. "We showed real character out there, we were switched on and had desire. That's real progress in terms of our mentality. We bounced straight back after conceding, kept things tight and stubbornly sought the victory."

Roma broke the deadlock on 15 minutes in Saturday's match thanks to Edoardo Soleri. On the hour mark the hosts levelled through Alberto Picchi, before Emanuele Ndoj restored the Giallorossi's lead six minutes later. Riccardo Marchizza's penalty a dozen minutes from time wrapped up the points.

De Rossi also praised the work being done at Empoli: "Empoli's academy continues to surprise us every year and they consistently produce very competitive sides. They're now behind us in the table but they're an excellent team. They had won every game at home and today they proved how good they are by causing us problems."

The win extends Roma's lead at the top of Group C in the Primavera championship. The Giallorossi move onto 32 points, five clear of Empoli in third. Frosinone stay second on 28 after they were defeated by Lanciano.

"This result was not crucial in that we still have a lot of games to play," concluded De Rossi. "However these will count as big points come the end of the season."