Roma recorded their biggest European win of the Paulo Fonseca era by thrashing CFR Cluj 5-0 on matchday three.
Borja Mayoral got off the mark for his new club with a well-taken brace, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Roger Ibanez also getting their first goals of the season.
Pedro also got on the scoresheet with his fourth goal in just his ninth game for the club. The assist came from debutant Tommaso Milanese, on as a substitute as a reward for his performances with the Primavera lately.
Roma move top of Group A after three games as a result, giving Fonseca plenty of satisfaction.
Here’s what he had to say.
On a strong start to the game
“Yes, we knew it was important to start strong. We wanted to score early in order to then manage the game and the lads did very well on the pitch.”
On Mayoral’s performance
“For this match I paired him with Mkhitaryan. For Borja, playing with another attacker was important. It was the right system for this match. We must give him time to adapt, I’m happy that he got two goals because it gives him confidence.”
On why Rick Karsdorp didn’t come on despite getting ready
“No muscle problems, I just changed my decision. I thought about letting him play, but then I changed my mind.”
On whether Bryan Cristante can play further forward
“He can play there too, at the moment we don’t have Diawara and we need him in the middle. Bryan is strong at the beginning of the construction, to support the central defender, but clearly he can play further up.”
On Milanese’s debut
“At 3-0 it was right to put him on and give him this opportunity. The Primavera are doing very well. We have 2-3 players from their team who work with us frequently. It was important to give him a chance.”
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