Roma coach Jose Mourinho says defeat to Napoli was undeserved.
Victor Osimhen proved the matchwinner for the Azzurri.
“The performance was sufficient to not lose the game. I wanted to win, but in the same way they won, which was a few attempts on goal and one in to win it,” Mourinho told DAZN.
“It was a difficult match, well controlled, after many yellow cards we struggled and they scored with one of the only dangerous situations they created in the second half. If not for the yellow, Cristante would’ve been able to make a foul early and block that counter.
“The players were also tired, I didn’t have the replacements on the bench to maintain the same level of performance. I also had to start Rick Karsdorp, who was not fit for 90 minutes, because Nicola Zalewski was meant to start and he fell ill.
“Leonardo Spinazzola was struggling for 90 minutes too. The Professor (Lorenzo Pellegrini) felt a twinge in his flexor and asked to be substituted, I kept him on as long as I could. Nemanja Matic was injured too, so we felt the problems pile up after 70 minutes.
“I feel a sense of injustice and embrace my players, because they did everything possible and I think they did enough to avoid defeat. We knew whoever got a goal would win, and it was Napoli.”
He also said: “We lowered the pressure in the second half because we were exhausted. Leonardo Spinazzola was meant to counter that guy, the one who is always diving. What’s his name? The one always throwing himself to the ground… (Hirving) Lozano! That’s it.
“We fell back, Napoli had more of the ball and that is when they took more control after 65-70 minutes. It was pure fatigue. Otherwise, we controlled them really well, played good considering our potential and the squad at our disposal, which had four kids from the youth team on the bench.
“A squad like ours, one injury is a problem, so three or four is a huge problem. I don’t like defeat, but I go home tonight with a positive feeling about my lads.”
