Atalanta confirmed their extraordinary start to the season with victory at the Stadio Olimpico, as Giorgio Scalvini took all three points, but Roma were furious with the referee and their own finishing.
La Dea were joint leaders with Milan and Napoli going into this weekend, so it was a big opportunity to potentially go clear, but they were also only one point above the Giallorossi. Paulo Dybala pulled out in the warm-up with a muscular issue, joining Rick Karsdorp, Marash Kumbulla, Stephan El Shaarawy, Georginio Wijnaldum and Ebrima Darboe on the absentee list. Atalanta missed Duvan Zapata, Davide Zappacosta, Nadir Zortea, Berat Djimsiti and suspended Jose Luis Palomino, who failed a pre-season doping test.
In the opening minutes, Juan Musso and Merih Demiral failed to communicate on a long ball and collided heavily, the goalkeeper forced off after a knock to the head left him very dazed indeed, replaced by Marco Sportiello.
Bryan Cristante drilled just wide from outside the area and Sportiello took the sting out of a sudden Roger Ibanez snapshot.
It was Atalanta who took the lead with their first chance, as Rasmus Hojlund drew defenders down the right and feinted a cross, but instead pulled it back to the edge of the box for teenage defender Giorgio Scalvini to control and sweep into the near bottom corner.
Demiral ran a huge risk when holding Zaniolo’s shirt on the outside edge of the box, but Tammy Abraham really should’ve scored when chesting down a long ball to spring the offside trap and knocking it past the on-rushing Sportiello, dribbling inches wide of the empty net.
There was a similar move moments later with Ibanez denied by Sportiello, then Abraham completed a give-and-go with Matic only for another save from point-blank range.
The tension erupted on 55 minutes when Zaniolo and Caleb Okoli were grabbing each other’s shirts as they burst into the box. Replays do suggest Zaniolo was pulling the shirt first, but Jose Mourinho was so angry that he received a straight red card and had to be held back by staff members.
Moments later, the same two players were holding each other again, but Zaniolo went down some time after Okoli had let go, leading to the free kick going against him.
Atalanta had a huge chance to double their lead from a corner when Luis Muriel pulled it back from the by-line, as only Abraham’s goal-line clearance prevented Zeki Celik from accidentally putting into his own net.
It turned into end-to-end stuff, Zaniolo’s left-foot curler skimmed the bar, then the Italy starlet nutmegged Okoli using the sole of his boot, allowing Celik to float a cross for Eldor Shomurodov’s header wide.
Moments later, Andrea Belotti sent Shomurodov running, but again the finish was off target, then the Uzbekistan international tried to roll across for Belotti, but Hans Hateboer made a decisive interception.
Roma 0-1 Atalanta
Scalvini 35 (A)
@forzariommma 😂😂😂😂😂
Belloti was really good tonight….suprised me