39 Shots Pay Off as Roma Overturn Atalanta Late at Olimpico
Two stoppage-time goals delivered a dramatic 2-1 victory for AS Roma over Atalanta BC at the Stadio Olimpico, preserving a perfect start to the Serie A campaign and keeping the club joint-top alongside Inter on nine points. Gian Piero Gasperini‘s side produced a relentless attacking display, taking 39 total shots and controlling 66.5 per cent of possession to eventually break down a stubborn defensive structure. The late turnaround ensured Roma maintained their pristine record of three wins from three league fixtures.
Gasperini’s Tactical Depth Triggers Late Surge Against Atalanta
Atalanta opened the scoring against the run of play in the first half when Ederson converted on their first serious attempt on goal. Roma responded by pinning the visitors into their own defensive third, creating central overloads and wide crossing angles, but were continually denied by goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. Forward Santiago Castro hit the woodwork twice after replacing Donyell Malen, as Atalanta relied on deep positional block mechanics to absorb heavy pressure in high Rome temperatures.
AS Roma
clubGasperini altered his structure in the second half by introducing fresh defensive cover in Leonardo Balerdi and Federico Ghilardi, neutralizing Atalanta’s secondary counter-attacks. Additional attacking entries by Nahuel Molina and Matías Soulé maintained high territorial control while preventing turnover transitions. The continuous physical demands eventually wore down the opposition structure in the closing moments.
The equalizer arrived in added time when defender Mario Hermoso met a corner kick, sending a looping header off the inside of the far post. Minutes later, Soulé collected possession inside the penalty area and drilled a low shot into the near bottom corner to complete the comeback.
Atalanta
club| Metric | AS Roma | Atalanta BC |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 66.5% | 33.5% |
| Total Shots | 39 | 6 |
| Shots on Target | 10 | 2 |
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the match, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini evaluated his team’s persistence and bench impact during the high-tempo performance:
“It’s precisely because we were against a strong team, and were trailing at their first attempt after the first half was one-way traffic. With this heat, when you attack constantly and don’t score, you risk using up energy. However, we kept pushing to the end, and when you win in added time after losing at the 89th minute, that’s a sign the squad really believes.”
With 10 goals scored and only one conceded across three league matches, Roma turn their focus to European competition. The club hosts Turkish side Fenerbahce at the Stadio Olimpico in their Champions League group stage opener on Thursday evening.