Ibanez hails defensive effort after key win

Making just his third start for the club, Ibanez looked calm and solid in Paulo Fonseca’s three-man defence – as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jordan Veretout scored the goals that delivered a crucial three points at the Olimpico.

Here’s what the Brazilian defender had to say after the game.

You showed how much you are improving tonight…

“We knew it would be another tough game. Parma are a strong side but we were well prepared for that. We were able to win but we wanted to kill the game off sooner, we wasted some really good chances.”

How are you finding it, playing in a three-man defence?

“I already played in that system when I was in Brazil, I’m comfortable with it. With a three-man defence you can pass it out of defence better, there are more options to pass the ball – especially for someone like me, who likes to bring the ball out.

“My teammates talked to me a lot and really did a lot to help me, so that made everything easier.”

How did you find playing alongside Bryan Cristante?

“Cristante did really well, he found a lot of passes between the lines – and defensively he was really strong too. We were well-organised, we brought home the three points and that’s positive for us.”

Could this win turn things around for you?

“Now we need to train even harder – to make sure we come away with another win in our next game.”