Atalanta Hold On To Three Point After Beating Roma To Keep European Race Hot
Atalanta and Roma went head-to-head on Monday, and the hosts held on to three key points to keep their European hopes alive after a 3-1 win.
José Mourinho’s 100th match in charge of Roma was not one for celebration after his attacking line choked against Gian Piero Gasperini’s determined Atalanta.
The two sides were evenly matched across the initial 45 minutes, but true chances were few and far between as challenges were more frequent than attempts to break the deadlock in this feisty encounter.
Tammy Abraham led the front line for the visitors from kickoff but struggled to find his touch, only pleading for a penalty but his claim fell on deaf ears.
Instead, one bright moment from the hosts led to the breakthrough as Atalanta made their chances count.
Duván Zapata created space with a driving run and crossed the ball towards Mario Pasalic, whose one-time volley was no match for goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
Coming out into the second half, the tempo slowed slightly, yet the visitors had a slight energy boost after bringing on the big guns Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Spinazzola, Nemanja Matić and Stephan El Shaarawy.
Still, the hosts remained a formidable side with a clear game plan and eventually doubled their lead while the visitors registered just one shot on target.
José Luis Palomino’s bullet header was initially saved by Patricio, only for the ball to fall to Rafael Tolói, and the captain’s volley was redirected into the net.
A late solo run from Lorenzo Pellegrini suggested Roma could have fought for a late comeback until Patricio didn’t keep hold of a back pass, and Teun Koopmeiners drilled home into an empty net for 3-1.
To make matters worse for Mourinho, Diego Llorente was forced off injured in tears, while Dybala was limping after the match.
The result means Roma sit fifth in the table, level with Milan and three off third-place Juventus, while Atalanta are only four points behind in seventh.
