BATE Borisov head coach Aleksandr Yermakovich is convinced that the recent spate of injuries Roma have suffered will have little bearing on how they play when the two sides meet in the Champions League tonight.

The former BATE midfielder, who was handed the reins of the first team in 2013 after a five-year apprenticeship as assistant coach, was full of praise for Rudi Garcia’s squad and the attacking brand of football the French tactician’s teams play.

How do you think Roma will cope with all their injuries?
“We know Roma have a lot of injuries, but I don’t think that will influence their play. They have many good replacements. They have leaders in every department: Daniele De Rossi in defence, Miralem Pjanic in midfield, and in general, they can all put in great performances.”

This isn’t the first time you’ve met Rudi Garcia. What’s your view of the Roma manager?
“Three years ago we took on a Lille side coached by Rudi Garcia in the UEFA Champions League. His teams play nice attacking football. They prefer short and medium-length passes, with lots of players getting involved in attacks.”

What type of BATE side will we see tonight?
“We are not going to show our hand just yet. When the game starts, you will see how we are going to take on Roma. We want to give our fans something to celebrate and we will try our best. If you want to take points from teams like Roma, you need a combination of things: skill, luck, the fans’ support. We need to be very focused and determined.”

Source:  asroma.it