Fonseca: Fantastic game where both sides played well

The Giallorossi took a first-half lead through Aleksandar Kolarov but both sides had plenty of chances throughout the game, with Lazio eventually equalising midway through the second half.

Speaking after the match, Fonseca acknowledged that his side could have done better in some phases – but remained confident the team would continue to make progress.

“It’s not the result we wanted, but we were facing a very good side,” Fonseca said.

“We took the lead, and we needed to manage the situation better than we did, but still Lazio deserve credit for making life hard for us. We will continue to work on getting better.”

How do you sum up that game?

“It was an extraordinary game for football lovers – it was a real privilege to be a part of it. The fans were treated to a great game between two teams who showed respect for each other and created lots of chances. It was a great spectacle.”

Was Edin Dzeko too cut off from the rest of the team?

“That’s true. At times Lazio forced us to drop deep and that meant Dzeko was a bit isolated when we brought the ball out. Lazio caused us problems down the left flank and that meant we had to drop back.”

What kind of impression did your first derby make on you?

“It was really exciting and there was a wonderful atmosphere in the stands – it was absolutely fabulous. It’s hard for a coach to deal with that level of excitement… it was the kind of game that shaves a few years of your life expectancy! It was a fantastic game between two teams that played well. It was a great advert for football.”

Do you think the attacking players behind Dzeko need to work harder to win the ball back high up the field?

“We had an issue with [Davide] Zappacosta in the warm-up, which forced us to rethink things and bring [Justin] Kluivert into the starting line-up. Our pressing wasn’t effective but it’s always difficult to press a team that sets up with a three-man defence. We tried to keep it a bit more compact, but as I say the opposition’s forays forward caused us problems.”