Giampaolo: “Character, unity and defensive spirit got us over the line”

Marco Giampolo knows his players had to muster every last ounce of energy to hold onto their lead and see the game out against SPAL, which came at the end of a hectic schedule.

“It was a tough match, really tough – our fifth in two weeks,” the coach acknowledged after the 2-1 win in Marassi.. “We weren’t as sharp as we usually are but we played with character, unity and a strong defensive spirit. We have to put this game in the context of the busy run we’ve had.

“We dug deep and managed to find that little bit extra. These last two weeks have taken a lot of mental and physical energy out of us. But the lads are in good shape – and they showed that tonight.

“We always look dangerous going forward, even though we had very little left in the tank. I expect a bit more from the subs though. We needed it today.”

The boss then had words of praise for Emil Audero, who was at fault on the opening goal but made amends by producing a full-stretch save to thwart Andrea Petagna with the scores poised at 2-1.

“Emil picked himself up magnificently after making a mistake on the goal. He pulled out a crucial top-drawer save.”