Lecce vs AS Roma preview - Montella: Concentration is key

Posted Friday, March 04, 2011 by PA

Roma coach Vincenzo Montella has called for maximum concentration from his players in their next two games, starting in the match at Lecce.

The Eternal City club have claimed just one win in their last six league games. Roma are sixth in Serie A, five points behind fourth-place Lazio.

The top four clubs by the end of the season will qualify for the Champions League.

"We need to stay focused," said Montella, who has led the team to a victory and a draw since replacing Claudio Ranieri at the helm. "We are growing and we still firmly believe that we can finish in the top four."

Roma travel to Lecce with one eye in next Tuesday's Champions League match in Ukraine.

The Giallorossi need to overturn a 3-2 deficit against Shakhtar Donetsk to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

"We are aware that our game at Lecce and the one in Donetsk means a lot to our season," Montella said. "We simply cannot make any mistakes on Tuesday and we believe it is possible to qualify.

"However, if we don't get a win, I believe there would still be time to make amends in Serie A."

If Roma had defensive problems under Ranieri, they still do under Montella judging from last weekend's game against Parma.

The club had a 2-0 first-half lead only to concede two goals after the break.

Just two weeks earlier, in a game that led to Ranieri's resignation, Roma blew a 3-0 advantage and lost 4-3 at Genoa.

"The numbers say that we have conceded 24 goals in the last half-hour of our games," Montella said.

"If we are the worst defence in the last half-hour, there must be a reason for it and that is simply a dip in concentration."

Roma are without suspended duo Aleandro Rossi and captain Francesco Totti. Montella, meanwhile, will be hoping striker Marco Borriello can end his goalscoring drought.

Borriello has not scored for Roma in a month and will lead the attack alongside Mirko Vucinic.

Lecce, meanwhile, are in a battle for Serie A survival.

Last weekend's 2-2 draw at Brescia left Luigi De Canio's men in the last position of safety, just three points clear of third-bottom Cesena.

Lecce had had some impressive displays at the Via del Mare stadium, having beaten Juventus and held AC Milan and Inter Milan to draws.

The hosts will be bolstered by the return of midfielders Guillermo Giacomazzi and Giuseppe Vives from suspension but will be without injured defender Nenad Tomovic.