Roma produced one of the most dramatic results of the early Serie A season, coming from behind to beat Atalanta 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico with two goals in stoppage time. Mario Hermoso and Matías Soulé were the heroes as Gian Piero Gasperini claimed his first victory over his former club.
The Giallorossi dominated from start to finish, firing 39 shots in a relentless assault on Marco Carnesecchi's goal. The Atalanta goalkeeper produced a string of fine saves to keep his side in the contest for 89 minutes, but it was not enough to prevent a famous Roma comeback.
Despite the territorial superiority, Roma found themselves behind early in the second half. Charles De Ketelaere shrugged off Hermoso on the left and pulled the ball back; when it was not cleared effectively, Éderson smashed the loose ball in from 14 yards to score in the 47th minute — the first goal Roma had conceded all season.
For Maurizio Sarri's Atalanta, who had started the campaign with back-to-back wins, the lead felt like a platform to build on. Instead, it became the catalyst for Roma's revival.
Gasperini made a decisive double substitution in the 54th minute, bringing on Nahuel Molina and Soulé, and the pair transformed Roma's attacking threat. Santiago Castro, who also came off the bench, struck the woodwork twice and spurned further chances. Soulé alone registered seven shots — more than the entire Atalanta team combined (six).
Roma's equaliser finally arrived in the 89th minute. After Carnesecchi had produced a stunning double save to deny Paulo Dybala and then a deflected effort from Wesley, Hermoso met Soulé's corner and looped a header inside the far post.
The Olimpico had barely stopped celebrating when Soulé struck again. In the 93rd minute, the Argentine winger cut inside Davide Zappacosta and drilled a low left-footed finish between Carnesecchi and the near post to complete an extraordinary turnaround.
Gianluca Gaetano was shown a red card for dissent in the 90+7th minute, capping a miserable evening for the visitors. Roma move level with Inter at the top of Serie A with nine points from three matches, while Atalanta suffer their first defeat of the campaign.
"We knew we had the quality to turn it around," Gasperini said after the match. "The players never gave up, and that is the mentality we are building here."
Sources
- https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/sport/calcio/2026/09/05/serie-a-hermoso-e-soule-allolimpico-la-roma-ribalta-latalanta-nel-finale_5e93625d-01b1-4d8a-ae1f-7781231cb632.html
- https://www.asroma.com/en/news/75892/a-dramatic-comeback-as-roma-beat-atalanta-2-1
- https://football-italia.net/serie-a-roma-2-1-atalanta-dramatic-comeback/
