Zinedine Zidane was a happy man after watching his Real Madrid side put one foot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Zidane's first experience of managing in a competition he won as a player with Real was close to perfect as goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and substitute Jese earned them a 2-0 win over Roma in the Italian capital.
The Frenchman said on uefa.com: "We're happy with the game and the result. We knew it was going to be a tough game but we fought to the end. In the first half they pressured us and that's normal in a difficult Champions League tie.
"Cristiano was great but then again so was everyone. Even those who did not play were important for team morale.
"I'm happy with Jese's goal -- he deserved it for his efforts. I'm happy and I'll try to ensure the side keeps on improving.''
Jese, 22, came through the Real youth system and took his first Champions League goal with aplomb four minutes after coming on as a substitute.
He praised the influence of Zidane, saying: "I know it's tough to get a game in this side because everyone is such a good player. I'm happy to have the manager's backing. He is giving us all confidence. He's a top coach.''
Zidane admitted he was unsure whether or not Roma deserved a penalty after Dani Carvajal appeared to take down Alessandro Florenzi in the penalty area late in the match.
"Should Roma have had a penalty? I didn't see it," Zidane said. "It was a complicated match, especially in the first half, but we scored two goals and could've had more, just as Roma had the chances to score.
"These two away goals are therefore very important. Qualification is not sealed, as in football it's never over until the final whistle.
"The group is the most important thing for me, even if the individuals make the difference. Seeing those who don't play as often encouraging the others is very important.
"The Final? It's a long way away, we still need the second leg of this round for a start, but it's nice to see the celebrations within the squad."