AS Roma Manager Admits He Wanted to Substitute 'Half the Team' During UCL Defeat in Kharkiv

Eusebio Di Francesco has claimed that he wanted to "substitute half the team" after throwing away a one-goal lead to suffer a 2-1 defeat to Shakhtar Donetskon Wednesday.

Roma's inform winger Cengiz Ünder put the Giallorossi into a half-time lead but goals from Facundo Ferreyra and Fred - the latter scoring a sublime free-kick - saw the Miners claim their fourth straight win over the Serie A giants.

"We dropped badly after their goal, but not just physically, above all psychologically. In the first 50 minutes we played to hurt Shakhtar, in the second we played to control - what we were supposed to be controlling, I don’t know," Di Francesco told Mediaset Premium (via Football Italia).

"I am not at all satisfied with the second half. We made far too many mistakes, above all with those players who have experience at this level. It was like seeing two different teams.

"After the equaliser, I should’ve substituted half the team... Shakhtar are very dangerous when attacking, we knew that, but it was our play that was the problem with too many mistakes and our passing was not at all clean."

Roma will now have to find a way back into the game when the two sides meet again on March 13 at the Stadio Olimpico. Ünder's vital away goal could prove decisive but stopping Shakhtar's South American attack will be Di Francesco's top priority.