Football
Reuters 15y

Soccer-Spalletti never doubted Roma would rebound

By Paul Virgo

ROME, Dec 9 - There was never any doubt that AS
Roma would qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League
despite losing their first game in group play, coach Luciano
Spalletti said after his beat Girondins Bordeaux 2-0 on
Tuesday.

The victory enabled the Serie A side, who lost their
opening game to Romania debutants CFR Cluj 2-1, to qualify for
the competition's knockout stage as group winners for the first
time, finishing a point ahead of English side Chelsea.

"I always knew that with the quality and intelligence of
our players we would come back," Spalletti told a news
conference.

"If you think about the period we experienced after the
Cluj (game), to win with a result like this (today) shows we
have chemistry."

Needing only a draw to progress, Roma sat back in the first
half of Tuesday's match at the Stadio Olimpico before striking
twice after the break with goals by Matteo Brighi and captain
Francesco Totti.

"We played the match in the right way," said Spalletti.

"We played an ordered, tidy match of great intelligence and
maturity."

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc believes his players were
undone by some typical Italian ruthlessness.

"As often happens with Italian teams, Roma let you have
possession but then they punish you," Blanc said.

"We were lacking in attack. There wasn't any space. We had
a few chances but they didn't give us the opportunity to be
dangerous."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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