Roma needed two goals in the final two minutes to beat Atalanta 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, with Hermoso heading in from Soulé’s delivery in the 89th before the substitute completed the turnaround with a clinical finish in added time. Atalanta had looked set to hold on after Ederson’s 47th-minute opener, despite facing 39 shots and 66 percent possession from the hosts. The result keeps Roma perfect through three Serie A games, while Atalanta’s Gianluca Gaetano was sent off in the 90th minute for abusive language, capping a bitter night for the visitors.
Key Moments
- 45′, Gianluca Scamacca goes off at half-time for Atalanta, replaced by Nikola Krstovic as Maurizio Sarri reshapes his attack heading into the second period.
- 47′, Ederson opens the scoring for Atalanta two minutes into the second half, converting without a recorded assist to give the visitors a shock lead against the run of play.
- 54′, Roma respond with a double substitution: Emanuele Lulli and Rodrigo Mora come off, with Nahuel Molina and Soulé entering. The move proves decisive.
- 89′, Hermoso levels it up. The defender converts from a delivery by Soulé to make it 1-1 and send the Olimpico into a frenzy.
- 90′, Soulé completes the turnaround in added time, finishing off a pass from Dybala to hand Roma all three points and devastate Atalanta on the final whistle.
- 90′, Gianluca Gaetano is shown a red card for abusive language, ending a miserable night for the Atalanta bench.
Tactical Breakdown
Roma dominated every measurable category for long stretches. Gasperini’s 3-4-1-2 produced 39 total shots, 27 of them inside the box, and 14 corners to Atalanta’s one. Dybala threaded passes in the pockets between the lines while Wesley and Cristante gave the midfield a physical and technical foundation. Yet Atalanta goalkeeper Carnesecchi was equal to the pressure for nearly the entire evening, making nine saves in what was a genuinely extraordinary individual performance.
The turning point came at the hour mark. Gasperini’s double substitution at the 54th minute, bringing on Soulé for Rodrigo Mora, injected sharper decision-making in the final third. The Argentine, who entered with Roma trailing, assisted Hermoso’s equalizer and then scored the winner in the space of two second-half minutes at the end of the game. Atalanta had also made multiple changes, swapping Ederson off in the 79th minute after his goal, and that reshuffle disrupted the defensive cohesion they had maintained for so long.
Atalanta, operating in a 4-3-3 under Sarri, were content to absorb and hit on the counter, finishing with just six shots, all inside the box, and 34 percent possession. It was a defensible approach given Carnesecchi’s form on the night, and it nearly worked. But the sheer volume of Roma’s attacking output made an equalizer look inevitable, and when Soulé came on with fresh legs in the second half, Atalanta ran out of answers in the closing minutes.
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Verdict
Roma sit top of Serie A on nine points from three games, level with Inter but with a goal difference that will get attention in the coming weeks. The manner of this win, two goals in injury time against a well-organized Atalanta side, points to a team with real resolve under Gasperini. Atalanta drop to seventh on six points from three matches, and Gaetano’s red card will leave Sarri short in midfield for the next fixture.