It takes a Real feat. The perfect adjective to describe what Roma needs, not even on purpose, is found right in the name of the opponent, that Madrid overwhelmed by the 0-2 of the first leg. And then making calculations makes very little sense: you have to play the perfect match, one that leaves you rightfully in the history of football, otherwise the Champions League, at least for this year, ends here.
“I usually ask my parents for the impossible and they know it – thought Spalletti. – This is how businesses become possible, if you don't think like this you go home. I saw convinced faces in my boys, it must be because I asked for a nice gift for my 57th birthday…”. The desire to try is there and this, given the premises of a few weeks ago, is already something. The Giallorossi coach had the merit of regenerating an exhausted team, completely lost during the final phase of the Garcia era and now toned and motivated.
On the other hand, however, there is a Real Madrid hungry for Champions, now more than ever: the 12 points from Barcelona in fact make a comeback in La Liga impossible, which is why the big-eared cup is even more important than usual. “It's our main objective – confirmed Zidane. – The only thing we are thinking about is beating Roma and woe to think it will be easy, I know they are going through a great moment of form. But more than anything else I worry about my players…”.
The concept is clear: if the blancos play as they know there is none for anyone, vice versa anything can happen, even the unthinkable. Spalletti knows this well, also because the Bernabeu brings him some luck. There is no need to remember that, on 5 March 2008, he was on the Giallorossi bench: that day Roma prevailed with a clear 2-1 (goals from Taddei and Vucinic) and, against all odds, qualified to the quarterfinals.
“It's a nice memory but it ends there – glossed over the coach. – That was a team that had been playing together for a long time, but this one still needs to grow. Of course, however, that the last 9 games have shown important progress, the conversation is starting to get interesting". Tonight, however, a 2-1 would not be enough, which is why the company is even more difficult to turn into reality.
Roma will then have to do without Nainggolan, a fundamental player for Spalletti's schemes and limited by a muscle problem: yesterday's audition, which was decisive for understanding his conditions, did not give the hoped-for results. Spalletti will try to make up for the Belgian with a rather offensive 4-2-3-1: Szczesny in goal, Florenzi, Manolas, Zukanovic and Digne in defense, Pjanic and Keita in midfield, Salah, Perotti and El Shaarawy in the frontline, Dzeko in attack .
Heavy defection also for Zidane, forced to give up his number 9 par excellence, that Karim Benzema in the pits with a hamstring injury. However, the blancos will not change their tactical form: the classic 4-3-3 will see Keylor Navas between the posts, Carvajal, Pepe (in run-off with Varane), Sergio Ramos and Marcelo in the back, Kroos, Casemiro and Modric in the midfield, Bale, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo up front.
