A Dream Performance by Roma Against Atalanta: A Stunning Comeback in stoppage time and the Top Spot in the Standings

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma remains tied with Inter for first place in Serie A with a perfect record after three league matches. However, they had to put in a special effort against their former coach: Atalanta lost 2-1 at the Olimpico, conceding both of Roma’s goals in the closing minutes of the match. Although they had long dominated the hosts’ frequent attacks, Maurizio Sarri’s men took the lead in the 47th minute with a goal by Ederson. The comeback, which they had been chasing for nearly an entire half, finally materialized in the 89th and 93rd minutes, with goals from Hermoso and Soulé.

The match began as expected: Roma attacked with their full lineup, while Atalanta tried to contain them. The first half, however, seemed to favor Sarri’s plans, even though Carnesecchi had to make a miraculous save on a header by Mancini and then another by Cristante. The VAR then silenced the Curva Sud at the Olimpico’s celebration of a goal, ruling Ndicka offside just as the Ivorian had beaten the visiting goalkeeper. Before halftime, Atalanta made their presence felt only once, when a turn-and-shot by Scamacca forced Svilar to make a two-stage save; on the other end, Mora missed the target, and Malen caught Bellanova off guard but couldn’t beat Carnesecchi.

Roma’s dominance seemed unchallenged, and in the second half, it was expected that after three miraculous saves, Carnesecchi would eventually be forced to concede. The goal did indeed come almost immediately, but surprisingly, it was Atalanta who scored it: much credit goes to De Ketelaere, who sent a ball into the box from the left that was mishandled by the opposing defense, allowing Ederson to pounce and slam the ball under the crossbar. The visiting goalkeeper confirmed his hot streak by diving to stop Koné’s powerful shot, but the Nerazzurri could have even doubled their lead on two separate occasions: on the first, Bellanova and Samardzic squandered an excellent counterattack; on the second, Krstovic missed the target by just a few centimeters. But the Giallorossi didn’t give up: Castro hit the post and, in the closing minutes, also struck the crossbar. A night that seemed cursed suddenly opened up: Carnesecchi denied Dybala and Wesley, but in the 89th minute, he was beaten by Hermoso’s lobbed header. And it wasn’t over yet: Castro narrowly missed putting Roma ahead, but Soulé did so in the 93rd minute, receiving a pass from Dybala and scoring after a brilliant run toward the near post.

With this victory, Roma reaches 9 points in the standings, joining Inter, who pulled off a similar feat that same evening: down 0-2 against Napoli at San Siro, Cristian Chivu’s Nerazzurri fought back to a 3-2 victory thanks to a brace by Lautaro Martinez and a goal by Thuram—the latter proving decisive in tying the game at 82’ before the Argentine captain’s winner in the 91st minute. Two spectacular comebacks on the same day have put Serie A’s top spot in the hands of the two teams currently in the best form.

For Roma, this marks their third consecutive league win, all achieved without conceding a goal in the first 88 minutes of play: an impressive run that confirms the solidity of Gasperini’s system. The Giallorossi had kicked off the season by crushing Fiorentina, then handed Lecce a decisive 4-0 defeat at the Via del Mare, with Malen shining as the star of the show thanks to a brace. Against Atalanta, the road became more difficult, but the team never lacked character.

It was Dybala himself—who came off the bench after recovering from muscle fatigue that had cast doubt on his availability—who once again proved to be the savior, delivering the decisive assist for Soulé’s goal in the 93rd minute. His presence on the field—even if it was midway through the match—changed the course of the game: an important sign for Gasperini, who can count on an increasingly deep roster. It’s no coincidence that the Bergamo-born coach had spoken openly the day before about the difficulties of the summer transfer window: “The summer was torture—constantly having to rethink our transfer plans and let go of players who were eager to join Roma, all because of the salary cap. The ownership, within the constraints of the financial limits, did everything possible. And in any case, my regret was offset by the desire of a group of players—both young and older—to stay; they took pay cuts and put their love for the jersey and the club above all else.”

After all, the transfer market never stops. At Trigoria, they’re already looking ahead to January with great attention: the hottest name is Endrick, the young Brazilian from Real Madrid who had already caught the eye of sporting director D’Amico this past summer. According to reports from within the Giallorossi camp, the 20-year-old has already expressed a preference for the capital, drawn in part by the chance to reunite with his compatriot Wesley. This is a concrete lead that could turn into Roma’s big winter transfer coup.