Perotti: I hope to make a key impact

Read everything he had to say on Tuesday at the Estadio do Dragao...

You've developed a knack for producing the goods at key moments for Roma over the years – like your goal against Genoa. Does that give you confidence going into tomorrow's game?

“Of course I have lots of good memories from last season and two seasons ago but tomorrow is a different match. I hope to keep being associated with positive moments. It's going to be tough but we want to improve the image we gave of ourselves last Saturday. Tomorrow is an excellent opportunity to show what we can do and show that we can reach the quarter-finals.”

Is it difficult to go into this game with the right mindset considering the first-leg advantage?

“We have a small advantage and we must make the most of it. We know that if we can score a goal or two it will make it that much more difficult for them. We mustn't think about the first leg, just play our game.”

Do you think this Porto side is more similar to the one you faced in 2011 when you were at Sevilla or the 2016 team you played against with Roma?

“I remember that match with Sevilla. They had a great team with players like Hulk and [Radamel] Falcao. We beat them here in Porto but lost in Seville and we didn't go through. They're stronger at home with their fans behind them but we have a slight advantage and we have to make it count. It would be a great achievement to reach the quarter-finals and something we want to do again after last season.”

You've been unlucky with injuries this season. Could it be your game tomorrow?

“I'd love to be able to do something to help the team, for everything I haven't been able to do in this period as I've had to watch my team-mates from the sidelines. I hope to be able to do my bit for the side. I'll give my all to help Roma win and get through to the quarter-finals.”

Having witnessed things from the outside in some ways, what do you think Roma's problems are? Why is there no consistency?

“I've been here for three and a half years and there have been times when we only needed one more step but dropped points in games which seemed easy. It's not only this year. We have to be more concrete.

"The worst part about being injured is you can't do your bit for the team. It's a little harder to recover from injuries now than it was a few years ago. Tomorrow we have a crunch match, in the league we're three points behind Inter and we still have a long way to go.”