Wary Roma seek success at CFR Cluj

AS Roma require a point at CFR 1907 Cluj on Wednesday to ensure FC Basel 1893 cannot pip them to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 by beating Group E winners FC Bayern München. Yet Claudio Ranieri knows their eliminated hosts, guided by caretaker coach Alin Minteuan following Sorin Cârţu's departure, will be keen to give them a game.

Alin Minteuan, CFR Cluj coach
Everyone would like a good game, even if it's a draw. We'd just like to feel we've played well so we're on a high after our final game of this year – we won last Friday and we need another win to give us that good feeling to take into the winter break. We want to win for the colours of Cluj, for the club and for the fans as well. The team wins together, the team loses together; everyone wants to feel good after the game.

Everyone knows Roma are a famous club; as for their weak points I will keep them to myself for now. [Francesco] Totti can make the difference in one game, we all know that, but I hope he won't make the difference tomorrow.

Claudio Ranieri, Roma coach
There are bigger names in the competition than Roma, but I remember when I got to the semi-finals with Chelsea that the biggest clubs had exited by then so perhaps this can happen again and we can go on to reach that stage. CFR are out of Europe, they have nothing to lose. They will not be under pressure and they want to play well tomorrow so I think it will be a good game. We want to win and are only focused on this game – I'm not interested in the Bayern v Basel match.

We have many talented players who only think of winning so it doesn't matter if there is an injury or two across the squad. I'm sure we will rise to the top places in Serie A; it's not true we are inconsistent – there are fluctuations in any game and despite the loss against Palermo we are in good form.

Team news
• CFR Cluj
Roberto De Zerbi is fit after a leg injury and could play having been an unused substitute at the weekend. Tomás Costa has been ruled out until the new year with a groin strain and Gabriel Mureşan is also out with a leg injury. Felice Piccolo is suspended.

• Roma
Ranieri confirmed that David Pizarro (ill), Simone Perrotta (tendinitis) and John Arne Riise (thigh) have all been ruled out. Marko Vučinić started against AC Chievo Verona on Saturday despite twisting his ankle in late November. Rodrigo Taddei, out since suffering a calf injury on 24 October, returned as a substitute in Verona.

Weekend results
03/12/10 CFR Cluj 2-1 FC Universitatea Craiova
(Traoré 69, Kivuvu 72; Stoica 66)
Dominique Kivuvu struck his first goal in the Romanian top flight as CFR claimed their first win in four matches.

04/12/10 AC Chievo Verona 2-2 Roma
(Moscardelli 61, Granoche 83; Simplício 26 44)
Adriano made his first start of the season as Ranieri's side squandered a two-goal lead and had Daniele De Rossi sent off late on.

Did you know?
Roma's Romanian international goalkeeper Bogdan Lobonţ played for FC Rapid Bucureşti and FC Dinamo Bucureşti in his homeland.

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