Jose Mourinho explains why Roma will be different in second leg – but Leicester City won't

Leicester City will see a very different Roma when they are backed by 70,000 supporters at the Stadio Olimpico, Jose Mourinho has promised.

City head to the Italian capital next week with the clubs’ Europa Conference League semi-final tie level following a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium. Playing at home in the second leg, Roma may feel they have the advantage.

While Mourinho does not feel that City’s performances are affected by the stadium they are playing at, he thinks being at the Olimpico will bring out a whole different side to his Roma team. The ground sold out in less than an hour for the game, and Mourinho claims they could fill 300,000 seats.

He said: “The second leg is a final played in Rome. That’s the way we look at it. We don’t think about Albania, we don’t think about the final. We think about this final on Thursday. I believe every Romanista before this game will accept that.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. A team like Leicester, it doesn’t make a difference for them to play at home or to play away. But for us it makes a difference. For them, no. They have the maturity, they have the class, experience, they are what the Premier League represents. But for us it makes a difference to play at home with our 70,000. Let’s go for it.

“The match was a very difficult match. In the first half we played how we wanted to play. In the second half, we played how they pushed us to play. Credit to them for that. It’s a result we accept. It’s fair. The second leg is a final played in Rome.

“I know the stadium is too small for the emotions of the Romanistas. If the stadium had 300,000, it would be 300,000. The stadium will be full, it will be beautiful.”

On the night, Mourinho did not feel his side played well