Shakhtar – Roma
Monday, December 11, 2017
|
On December 11, they held the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw
At this stage of the competition, Shakhtar will meet with Roma.
The Miners will play their first game on February 21 at home, with the return game to be played away on March 13. We bring you the presentation of the opponents.
Italy’s second team
Over its 90-year history, Roma claimed the domestic league title three times (last time in 2001), won the Cup nine times and the Super Cup twice.
Last season, with Luciano Spalletti at the helm, the Romans claimed the second spot in Serie A, being four points adrift of Juventus and one point ahead of Napoli. In the top scorers race, the striker Edin Dzeko (29) outperformed Dries Mertens (28) by one goal.
Young coach
In June, Eusebio Di Francesco was appointed the new head coach of Roma. From 1997 to 2001, he played for this club and was called up by Italy national team. The 48-year-old Di Francesco made great progress in his career when heading Sassuolo: modest debutants claimed the sixth spot in Serie A after three seasons, also qualifying for the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage.
Top team in the tough quartet
The Romans advanced to the Last 16 from the top spot in Group C, claiming an equal number of points with Chelsea (head-to-head advantage). The Wolves failed to beat Atletico in both legs, but, unlike the Madrid team, they claimed maximum points in the encounter with Qarabag. In 6 meetings they netted 9 goals and conceded 6 goals.
This season, the Giallorossi have been playing without their long-term leader and captain Francesco Totti. Roma are the fourth in the Serie A table (15 matches, 11 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses; 27-10) following Inter, Napoli and Juventus. The Italian league has no winter break, so the Romans will have had at least 10 competitive games before playing Shakhtar.