Sampdoria manager Sinisa Mihajlovic has said that his side should have "believed more" during their Coppa Italia defeat against Roma.

An early goal from Vasilis Torosidis was enough to settle their last-16 tie, and while Mihajlovic felt that his team played well, they lacked the cutting edge needed to beat their opponents.

"I think the lads did well, as we made many changes. We came to Rome and created chances, but we should've believed more," he told reporters. "It isn't easy to come to the Olimpico and play the way we did, as we didn't clam up."

"Fiorillo did well, even if I don't like singling out individuals. Our priority is safety in Serie A, so I had to rotate the squad and give an opportunity for some players to prove themselves.

"The trouble with the Coppa Italia, which is an important competition, is that you only really use your best line-up from the semi-final onwards."

Sampdoria host Udinese in Serie A on January 13.