Lazio midfielder Lucas Leiva admits his move from Liverpool has gone better than expected.

Lucas is in his first season in Serie A.

He told Esporte Interativo: "It was a better start than I would have expected. I made a difficult decision in the summer: leaving Liverpool, which had become my home. But this change was necessary. I had less and less space and I was becoming more important outside the field than inside. At my age I felt ready for this change.

"Fighting for a place in the Champions League with Roma, Inter and Milan is always difficult. The team has proved to be up to this goal, then the win in the summer of the Italian Super Cup gave us a lot of confidence. It will be a good fight there is no doubt.

"In the last game we earned only one point but we are fully in the race. I think that getting qualification for the next Champions League for us would mean having won another title."