Roma's Argentinian forward #18 Matيas Soulé (L) celebrates with team mate Argentinian forward #21 Paulo Dybala (R) after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A football match between Roma and Atalanta at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on September 5 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
Rome: Roma pulled off a late turnaround to beat Atalanta 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday to maintain pole position in the top flight Italian football league (Serie A) along with Internazionale Milan who had also overcame Napoli earlier on Sunday 3-2 in an equally nailbiting thriller.
Mario Hermoso and Matias Soule struck in the dying minutes to continue a perfect start to the season for Roma against their coach Gian Piero Gasperini's former club Atalanta.
Roma's Spanish defender #22 Mario Hermoso (C) celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A football match between Roma and Atalanta at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on September 5 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
Ederson's bullet strike early in the second half came against the run of play but looked enough for a backs-to-the-wall victory as Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi kept out wave after wave of Giallorossi attacks.
Roma scored eight goals in their opening two wins of the season, but looked almost out of ideas after replacement striker Santiago Castro was twice denied by the woodwork and Carnesecchi produced a terrific double save.
But Hermoso was left unmarked and looped a header into the far corner to level the scores in the 90th minute.
Roma's Dutch forward #14 Donyell Malen (R) vies with Atalanta's Ivory Coast defender #3 during the Italian Serie A football match between Roma and Atalanta at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on September 5 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
The Roma players sprinted back to the centre circle as they looked for a quick restart to push for a winner, and that was exactly what they got when substitute Soule fired a composed finish in at the near post to send the Stadio Olimpico wild.
Roma's Italian coach Gian Piero Gasperini reacts during the Italian Serie A football match between Roma and Atalanta at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on September 5 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
Roma's first win over Atalanta since March 2022, a run of eight matches, will come as a confidence-booster before their eight-year wait to return to the Champions League ends away to Fenerbahce on Thursday.
