Skriniar: "We're a strong group, the Roma match is very important"

APPIANO GENTILE – When speaking to Sky Sport ahead of Saturday evening’s fixture against Roma (tickets are still on sale, click here), Milan Skriniar showed the same determination and confidence as when he’s out on the pitch. He got straight to the point: "It’ll be a very important match against a direct rival. It’s absolutely a must-win for us. We could go nine points clear of them, and this would be really good for us." It’ll be tough against Ranieri’s side: "We need to watch out for Dzeko, who is physically very strong and always a threat. But he’s not the only player we should keep an eye on: we all need to remain focused.

"I always give my all when I take to the pitch, we’re all united. This is a moment where we need to stay focused and show that we’re a team, that we’re a strong group made up of strong individuals. Everyone’s aim is the Champions League. The hope is that we finish higher up than we did last year. We’re currently third in the league but there is the possibility of finishing in second place – we’ve still got to play Napoli. Inter have to be in amongst the best, this is where they deserve to be."

The Skriniar-De Vrij partnership is considered to be the ‘Nerazzurri wall’ by the fans. "We’ve all improved defensively. Stefan and I have got a good thing going, we get on well and are roomates. I know that I’m being compared with Walter Samuel: he really was a wall, the wall in fact. I’m happy about this and it gives me confidence, he’s a point of reference for me."