Serie A | Roma 1-1 Atalanta: Point apiece suits nobody

Paulo Dybala’s penalty cancelled out the Teun Koopmeiners header, as Roma and Atalanta share the points and fail to close on the top four.

This was a head-to-head for European ambitions, but both were also in the Coppa Italia midweek and preparing for the quarter-finals, so squads were stretched thin. Evan Ndicka, Houssem Aouar and Ademola Lookman were on AFCON duty, with Renato Sanches, Chris Smalling, Tammy Abraham and Marash Kumbulla injured, plus Rafael Toloi, Hans Hateboer and El Bilal Toure not making the trip.

Marco Carnesecchi showed bravery in the opening minutes rushing off his line to deny Romelu Lukaku one-on-one after a poor Aleksei Miranchuk back-pass.

However, Atalanta took the lead when Miranchuk floated a ball to the back post for the Teun Koopmeiners header, anticipating Rick Karsdorp.

Carnesecchi had to be on his toes for two big saves in quick succession on Lukaku fed by Gianluca Mancini and then the Ederson deflection on a Paulo Dybala cross-shot.

Charles De Ketelaere threatened at the other end moments later, his powerful strike deflected over by Rui Patricio’s bicep as he came tearing out.

Dybala only grazed the Lorenzo Pellegrini pass when ready to tap in from close range, then Carnesecchi rushed out to deny Edoardo Bove from point-blank range.

There was chaos when Carnesecchi flapped at an attempted Nicola Zalewski lob and Karsdorp’s attempt was cleared off the line by Berat Djimsiti, but VAR showed that Matteo Ruggeri then caught Karsdorp on the leg with his studs. It was a penalty, Dybala sending Carnesecchi the wrong way to equalise.

Paulo Dybala brings Roma level from the spot 🎯

He then throws the ball at an Atalanta player 😅 pic.twitter.com/L1oDaOAiCJ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 7, 2024

Diego Llorente charged down the Emil Holm strike and Jose Mourinho was furious when no foul was given as Sead Kolasinac nudged Dybala on the edge of the box.

Dean Huijsen only completed his loan move from Juventus yesterday, but was thrown in for his Roma debut in the second half, as Diego Llorente had a muscular problem.

The defender threatened a goal immediately on a free kick at the back post, the deflection off Emil Holm forcing a desperate reaction save from Carnesecchi.

Dybala’s acrobatic overhead kick went wide and Gianluca Scamacca nodded in, but only after pushing Zalewski.

Ederson blasted over the bar after seemingly doing the hard part by shaking off two challenges on the edge of the area, then Carnesecchi used his chest to charge down the Dybala strike at the near post.

Kolasinac went off with a thigh problem and Lukaku ballooned over from Leonardo Spinazzola’s cut-back, but both teams started to look tired towards the end. Jose Mourinho was shown a second yellow card for dissent in stoppages and will therefore be suspended against Milan.

Classic José Mourinho 😅

He furiously sprints out of his dugout, contesting a decision from the referee, before being yellow carded 👀 pic.twitter.com/0yXd1b41pT
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 7, 2024

Roma 1-1 Atalanta

Koopmeiners 8 (A), Dybala pen 39 (R)