Chivu: "A brave win, we fought hard and kept pushing until the end"

“Sometimes you win games like this too, and we have to accept that we faced a tricky, well-organised team that caused us some problems at times, but we knew how to deal with it. Matches like this are usually easier to lose than to win, so when you score right at the end you can't help but celebrate because we kept believing to the end, even though it could have easily gone the other way. The set piece? If it had gone wrong, they could have scored on the counter, given their pace, but with our quality it's good to try new things. Credit to Angelo (Palombo) and all the guys who are always looking to bring something new to the table. When you have talented players like Calhanoglu and Zielinski you have to take advantage of that and give them due credit. We started off well, going ahead early on but we couldn't put the game to bed, partly because of their quality. After the goal, we tried to stop them on the counter, because we know transitions are they're strong point. In the second half, we got drawn into their style of play, lots of duels and second balls, and we didn't create much. But, our spirit and attitude remained the same. Then we needed a bit of luck, but also the courage to get the ball into the box. The boys work hard and they know their worth. It's never easy playing so many games away from home, sometimes energy levels drop, but winning at the death shows character. Even when you’re not at your best, you’ve got to keep pushing until the end, and bringing home the points matters most. Lautaro? He hasn't scored in a week, but he scored in Brussels. His effort and leadership are an example for everyone. There’s no ‘case’ here. He had his chances today, but for me what counts most is the way he leads. Not scoring for a week isn’t a problem. ”