Mkhitaryan aiming to cap off positive season with cup run

The Giallorossi face the Spanish side - five-time winners in this competition - for a place in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening, with kick-off at 18:55 CEST in Duisburg, Germany.

Here's what Mkhitaryan had to say about the game...

What do Roma need to watch out for tomorrow?

“I think we need to be focused and alert in general – it’s a one-off game. We need to stay focused, keep the ball, use it well. We have to be confident in our approach – if you play with confidence and courage you can win. We can’t let our heads drop, we need to keep balanced.”

Last season, for safety reasons, you didn’t play in the Europa League final. Does that give you extra motivation now?

“Obviously it was a shame not to play last year, but that’s over with now. I don’t want to talk about that, it’s difficult.

"This year things are different, I want to get to the final again, I want to play to win – just as tomorrow I will play to win and to get to the final. It won’t be easy, but I am confident the team is ready for this game. I will give everything I have to help the team win. If the team wins that is enough for me.”

How do you find things in this new tactical setup – has it helped you in terms of converting chances?

“I’m enjoying it, even if I was enjoying it in the other system too. It’s more about how you are on the pitch, what you are able to do for your teammates. I do everything I can to help my teammates and win the match.

"Right now we are playing with a 3-4-2-1, so I am playing a bit closer to both Edin Dzeko and the opponent’s goal. It’s something we’ve been working on, that works well for me and the team. I want to continue producing for the team.”

You know this competition well – did you keep a few goals back to score in this competition?

“It’s been one of the best seasons of my career, but tomorrow will be a different sort of test. I haven’t scored yet in the Europa League, I have 90 minutes to do that, but for me the important thing is that the team wins.

"Individual achievements don’t matter, it’s all about the team. You win together and you lose together. Tomorrow I need to work harder than over. If I score a goal I will be happy – but winning, that’s the most important thing.”