Gasperini: Roma's Point Against Fenerbahce Could Be Crucial in Champions League

Gian Piero Gasperini believes AS Roma can consider the 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahce a positive result, stating, "A point can be important for the table and to achieve our targets."

Roma dominated possession in Istanbul and initially took the lead through Bryan Cristante's precise shot from the edge of the box. However, the team's energy levels dipped as the match progressed, forcing goalkeeper Mile Svilar into several saves before Archie Brown scored the equalizer.

Gasperini Identifies Positives Despite Defensive Concerns

"It was a good performance, but it wasn't easy in this atmosphere and against a team that, despite being on home turf, clamped down defensively and tried to counter-attack with their quick forwards," Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia. "I think we played very well. At the end of the day, a point can be important for the table. We need draws too in order to achieve our targets."

Brown's goal exposed a vulnerability in Roma's defense, which struggled to contain Fenerbahce's off-the-ball movement. "We certainly made the wrong defensive movements, but this happens sometimes when we are too deep. It's actually better when we are attacking and pushing in their half," the coach noted. "It is something we definitely need to work on, because we cannot always push forward, especially in this competition; at times we will be on the back foot. It was a mistake in our defensive movement."

When questioned about the impact of his summer signings, Gasperini acknowledged that it wasn't an easy game for substitutions. "I don't think so. Leonardo Balerdi came on very well, so did Nahuel Molina. It wasn’t easy for Niccolò Pisilli. Maybe Rodrigo Mora struggled; I brought him on to exploit his pace, but it was tough to find him between the lines. I introduced Marten De Roon when we needed to secure the result. I thought everyone had the right approach."

Similar to their recent Serie A match against Atalanta, Roma conceded at the start of the second half, raising concerns about a recurring issue. "When it happens twice, that's an indication. Not everything in football is explicable; sometimes it is a fluke, but from the next game we must be more focused," Gasperini concluded.