AS Roma – Atalanta Bergamo: La Dea Lay Down The Gauntlet (0-2)

Atalanta Bergamo, enjoying their best-ever start to a Serie A campaign, struggled to get out of first gear in Rome, but in the end, they did not need to. Eventually, they found the right dynamics, whereas Roma continued to melt.

Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.

In May, it was a game between Atalanta and Roma that would decide which team would take the big step towards Champions League football. How both teams have transitioned since then?

The Friedkins handling of Roma has seen the club move backwards from their positive position six months ago. Danielle De Rossi had good ideas in possession, but the huge problems in transition were never fixed. Regardless, his sacking came as a shock and Roma are now on their third coach of the season. Claudio Ranieri sat deep against Napoli but pressed Tottenham Hotspur from a higher position for a much more frantic game. For his first game back at the Stadio Olimpico, which version of Roma would turn up remained a mystery.

Atalanta won that game in May and have elevated their performances since then. They produced their greatest night in Dublin and started the season in incredible fashion. Recruiting both Raoul Bellanova to cross to Mateo Retegui feels like a cheat code, but Gasperini has produced impressive tactical displays too. Ten wins in their last eleven games have got them back in the Scudetto talk.

Ranieri made just a single change from their 2-2 draw, in . . .