Atalanta vs AS Roma Review
Gian Piero Gasperini’s return to Bergamo ended in disappointment as his Roma team lost 1-0 to Atalanta, marking their third straight away defeat in Serie A. Although Roma had only won two of their last 15 head-to-head matches, they were presented with a prime chance to improve that record just seven minutes into the game when Paulo Dybala capitalized on Éderson’s weak back pass and set up Evan Ferguson. Ferguson’s initial shot was saved by Marco Carnesecchi, and his chipped rebound was cleared off the line by the retreating Berat Djimsiti.
Atalanta responded strongly and took the lead five minutes later when Nicola Zalewski’s corner was mishandled by Mile Svilar, allowing Giorgio Scalvini to score with a close-range effort. After a lengthy VAR review, Scalvini’s goal, his second of the season, was confirmed. The team that scored first had won 16 of Roma’s 17 matches this season, but La Dea was determined not to leave anything to chance. Zalewski missed a chance, and Gianluca Scamacca curled a shot just wide.
Scamacca then rose above the visiting defense to head in Lorenzo Bernasconi’s deep cross, but after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to an offside in the buildup. The second half started with Ferguson forcing Carnesecchi into a great save after skillfully creating space to shoot in a crowded penalty area. The home goalkeeper then had to make another solid stop to deny Matías Soulé’s shot aimed at his near post. After withstanding the pressure from Roma, Raffaele Palladino’s team nearly scored a second goal as the match neared the end, with a quick attack ending in Bernasconi shooting just wide.
In the final 10 minutes, Atalanta’s only significant attempt to secure the win was a looping header from Nikola Krstović off a corner that sailed over the goal. Meanwhile, Roma’s best chance was a bicycle kick from Dybala that went far wide. As a result, Atalanta easily avoided consecutive home losses for the first time since March. This loss marked Roma’s fourth defeat in six games, further weakening their title hopes, with all these losses coming by just one goal, adding to their frustration.
