Chiesa Di Totti - Serie A, Matchday 32: Roma vs. AtalantaCautiously Optimistic Since 2007https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48469/totti-fave.png2021-04-23T14:00:00+02:00http://www.chiesaditotti.com/rss/stream/221601742021-04-23T14:00:00+02:002021-04-23T14:00:00+02:00Sinners & Saints: Roma 1, Atalanta 1
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<figcaption>Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Bryan Beckenbauer continued his transition into a slick fielding center back with 90 spectacular minutes yesterday.</p> <p id="qdWQhM">For the second-straight league match, Roma ran into an extremely energetic, extremely determined, and extremely aggressive club. Last weekend, the Giallorossi had the misfortune of facing Andrea Belotti and the rest of a relegation-battling Torino side. With their lives in the top flight at stake, the Toros pumped nearly 30 shots at Roma en route to a 3-1 victory. Atalanta is on the opposite end of the table, but Gian Piero Gasperini's men were no less motivated than their colleagues from Torino, and with 24 cracks at Pau López, they weren't exactly demure either.</p>
<p id="gTMj50">However, unlike last weekend's defeat, <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">Roma's</a> defense was better at keeping up appearances, limiting the high-powered Atalanta attack to only one goal, though Atalanta certainly missed more than a few clear-cut chances—none more glaring than Luis Muriel's missed sitter in the second half.</p>
<p id="eSeIFu">The draw may have looked better on the scoreboard, but it did very little to aid Roma's climb up the table. In fact, they didn't move at all, remaining firmly entrenched in seventh place with only six matches remaining.</p>
<p id="9fhlNy">Unfortunately, there may not be much at stake in those six matches but they should still leave plenty of room for several players to lay claim to a bigger role next season while others still will be fighting for <em>any </em>role next season.</p>
<p id="6Z26ri">With that in mind, let's take a look at the men who seized the day yesterday and those who let it slip through their grasp.</p>
<h2 id="fjJ1BQ">The Sinners</h2>
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<h3 id="wRFra1">Lorenzo Pellegrini</h3>
<p id="4faiC8">We can summarize Pellegrini’s performance yesterday with one number: 23. As in the number of times he lost possession against Atalanta—the most of any man on the pitch. Throw in his poor passing performance (1-6 on crosses and 1-4 on long balls) and it wasn’t a banner day for Roma’s captain. </p>
<p id="XPDsxP">But he wasn't the only local kid who struggled against Atalanta. </p>
<h3 id="tpvK4N">Riccardo Calafiori</h3>
<p id="Jr6Hs8">Roma's young left-back didn't do anything <em>particularly </em>egregious yesterday, but after being unceremoniously yanked at half-time, it was clear that Calafiori wasn't offering enough down Roma's left flank yesterday. In 45 minutes against Atalanta, Calafiori took 43 touches and completed 77% of his passes but didn't register, or even attempt, a single successful cross or accurate long-ball. </p>
<p id="qOUzcZ">Growing pains. We've all had them in our personal and professional lives and 18-year-old fullbacks with really cool, almost feathered hair are no different. </p>
<p id="dPgvOQ">He'll be fine.</p>
<h3 id="w6Z050">Gonzalo Villar</h3>
<p id="JUMyOc">Another youngin’ with a rough day at the office, the 23-year-old Villar didn't do much to help a Roma midfield that struggled to forge a path through the Atalanta defense. In 75 minutes, Villar was crisp with his passes (92%) but not particularly incisive in any fashion: zero shots, zero key passes, zero dribbles, and only two tackles to speak of. Much like Calafiori, Villar's transgressions were more about complacency and ineffectiveness than anything else.</p>
<h3 id="HFgGHs">Roger Ibañez</h3>
<p id="YCwd6G">With two yellow cards and a late dismissal from the match, Ibañez didn't really do his compatriots any favors yesterday, particularly when you consider they were under duress from the word go. Ibañez managed five tackles yesterday but he also committed four fouls and lost possession 10 times. </p>
<h2 id="JBlx6U">The Saints</h2>
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<cite>Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="c4FfaV">Gianluca Mancini</h3>
<p id="OnkWH8">With five tackles, including one last-man effort, four interceptions, one blocked shot, and two clearances, Mancini was a defensive dynamo yesterday. In addition to all that work behind the ball, Mancini completed 89% of his passes, completed five of six long passes, chipped in one key pass, and won 11 of 14 duels. </p>
<p id="YtTbS2">New contract? Yes, please.</p>
<h3 id="GbaviG">Bryan Cristante</h3>
<p id="lPabMW">Bryan Beckenbauer took another step in his transition from a <em>he's-an-okay-midfielder-but-we-don’t-know-how-to-use-him</em> to <em>oh-my-god-is-he-secretly-a-defender </em>yesterday. In 90 mostly sterling minutes at the Olimpico on Thursday, Cristante turned in a man-of-the-match performance with two successful dribbles, one shot (and one goal), one tackle, four interceptions, one clearance, and seven accurate long balls. </p>
<p id="L95iPP">It will be interesting to see what Paulo Fonseca (or, you know, the man who replaces him) has in store for Cristante next season, but he's added another layer to his already diverse skillset this season. </p>
<h3 id="VO4geo">Pau López</h3>
<p id="gGqPHc">If this is for Pau and Roma, he's going out on a high note. Much like Antonio Mirante against Torino last weekend, López faced a torrent of shots and made seven saves while completing 78% of his passes, including 10 long ball attempts. López didn't make any highlight-reel saves, but his positioning was above reproach and his rebound control was spot on. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do to prevent Atalanta's only goal but Lopez was up to snuff once again. </p>
<h2 id="Fcl7sV">Stuck In Between</h2>
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<p id="1HuNEa"><strong>Jordan Veretout:</strong> He ran a lot but wasn't able to really influence the game as much as you'd like but Roma <em>definitely </em>needed his energy yesterday.</p>
<p id="rzkyRY"><strong>Rick Karsdorp</strong>: Two key passes highlighted what was otherwise a quiet afternoon for everyone's favorite resurgent Roma player. </p>
<p id="SwyZsy"><strong>Edin Dzeko</strong>: Some good play away from the ball, six shots, and three key passes but, much like Veretout and Karsdorp, his efforts didn't budge the scoreline either way.</p>
<p id="V8NjS9">Truth be told, Roma's entire performance was stuck in between yesterday, so let's hope for a more definitive result against Cagliari this weekend—to say nothing of <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com">Manchester United</a> next Thursday.</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/23/22398563/roma-1-atalanta-1-player-ratingsbren2021-04-22T23:00:00+02:002021-04-22T23:00:00+02:00Highlights of Roma’s 1-1 Draw With Atalanta
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<p>A red card shown for each side, one Bryan Cristante stunner and plenty more from this game.</p> <p id="frZcVd">Today’s match was brought to me by the pitchside mics, behind both Pau Lopez and Pierluigi Gollini’s goalframes. <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">Roma</a> spent the opening quarter of the game LOOKING like a unit. As Lopez shouted “<em>senza fallo</em>”, Ibanez followed instruction by simply pushing up on Atalanta players but not flying into a wild tackle. Lopez’s “sale!” (push up) was met with all 10 Roma teammates immediately pushing upfield in unison, to take away time from Atalanta on the ball. And then one build-up from the back went wrong, and so went Roma’s unity out the window along with that error.</p>
<p id="r2753d">Jordan Veretout’s outstretched leg couldn’t prevent Roma’s possession from going out of play on the left flank, and a dead silence ensued for 10 minutes. Roma’s inhibitions suddenly swallowed the<em> Giallorossi</em> whole, as they gave in to the inevitable Malinovskyi 25th-minute opening goal for Atalanta. The away side would also have plenty of chances to build on their lead until half-time, and even well into the second half, but it was always Pau Lopez throwing an audible out there to give his teammates solutions.</p>
<p id="bLe2Ph"><em>“Raga’, non capisco perché non giriamo il gioco?” </em>came Pau’s suggestion, accurate in his assessment that Roma weren’t spreading the play across flanks often enough. Villar’s possession-play helped the home side almost exclusively build down the right, and the half-time heatmap showed that Riccardo Calafiori either couldn’t impose himself (or wasn’t trusted to do so by teammates) down that left side. </p>
<p id="CJBBIc">Paulo Fonseca addressed the issue at half-time by subbing on Bruno Peres, but Atalanta could have easily scored two or three more goals (including a shocking miss from Luis Muriel) before Robin Gosens’ 68th-minute sending off confirmed the ever-so-subtle change in the game’s balance, with momentum increasingly favoring the home side. The confirmation of Roma’s resurgence came from a Bryan Cristante stunner in the 75th minute that brought the game level at 1-1.</p>
<p id="pwuELg">There was plenty more to this game (including an Ibanez sending off at the very end), but ultimately it was another close-but-no-cigar match against Serie A’s top sides from Paulo Fonseca’s team; a very strange team where arguably the least-naturally skilled players for their role (Pau Lopez and Bryan Cristante) show never-say-die confidence and infectious positive attitude, whereas the dead silence between Roma’s front three players said it all in terms of how the most accomplished talents struggled to impose their own character on the match. </p>
<p id="HFdEFi">Rest assured there will be plenty of heads chopped in the summer to take the blame to that end. In the meantime, Roma travels to Sardegna this Sunday, where they face a Cagliari side battling for their Serie A lives.</p>
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https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/22/22398042/roma1-atalanta-1-highlightsdallagente2021-04-22T21:03:47+02:002021-04-22T21:03:47+02:00Cristante Rescues a Point for Roma With Stunning Second Half Goal
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<p>Atalanta ran the show for most of the match but were done in by one of their former proteges, Bryan Cristante, who stole a point with a cracking second half strike from distance.</p> <p id="3kLnuo">A day after the Eternal City celebrated its 2,774th birthday, the city's proper football club welcomed a team that is quickly becoming an eternal nemesis: fourth place Atalanta. Once an overlooked figure on the fixture list, Atalanta has taken Europe by storm over the past few years, earning unlikely <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> birth after unlikely Champions League birth, to the point where it's no longer shocking to see the Bergamo club running with the continent's best squads. </p>
<p id="O4FlAR">Part and parcel of their climb up the European ranks have been a flat-out dominance of clubs like Roma; the ones who kept the Goddesses under their thumbs for years, if not decades. Gian Piero Gasperini has gotten the better of Paulo Fonseca at every turn since Fonseca took the Roma gig two seasons ago and hasn't lost to the Giallorossi since 2017.</p>
<p id="WpZ5HF">Ánd Atalanta looked to extend that streak almost immediately this afternoon at the Stadio Olimpico. In only the fourth minute of the match, Gasperini's patented pass-and-move attack nearly ripped Roma to shreds when Ruslan Malinovskyi redirected a ball into the box for Duvan Zapata. The Colombian forward couldn't get a clear shot off but it was a harbinger of things to come in the first half—these two players would loom large in the first 45 minutes. </p>
<p id="gJrNhv">In the 9th minute, it was Malinovskyi's turn as he brought Pau López into the match for the first (but definitely not final) time, forcing a save from <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">Roma's</a> keeper with a well-struck ball from the left edge of the area. </p>
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<img alt="AS Roma v Atalanta BC - Serie A" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ttavwaU3y-EML026RUgel9yvCtM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22462948/1313888418.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="5U9C5c">Roma would start to crawl their way into the match, mostly focusing on long balls over the top trying to find Edin Dzeko off the shoulder of the last Atalanta defender, and while they were getting close, Dzeko just couldn't find that extra little bit of space to unleash a clean attempt on goal. </p>
<p id="FiEK3r">However, in the 15th minute, we saw the return of Dzeko the creator as he played a somewhat awkward, drooping cross from the left edge of the pitch. With the ball hanging up in the air just a bit too long, Atalanta keeper Pierluigi Gollini was able to intercept the cross before Henrikh Mkhitaryan, its presumed target, could get a head to the ball. But Gollini hit the ball with a glancing blow rather than a direct hit, leaving Lorenzo Pellegrini with a rebounded chance but his rifled attempt was blocked by Berat Djimsiti.</p>
<p id="NAuyeo">At this stage of the match—roughly 15 to 20 minutes in—Roma and Atalanta were taking similar approaches, trying to find their striker through the middle with timing-dependent through balls past the final defender. Atalanta were getting closer than Roma, mostly because Zapata was alternatively sneaking and bullying his way past Roma's defenders, while Dzeko was just a step too slow to do the same to Atalanta's backline.</p>
<p id="gGIb5n">The two clubs would trade Dzeko or Zapata blows for the ensuing 10 minutes but eventually, Atalanta's class broke through, thanks in large part to Zapata and Malinovskiy.</p>
<h3 id="OMqetq">Ruslan Malinovskyi: 25th Minute (Roma 0, Atalanta 1)</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">GOOOL DE ATALANTA ⚽️<br><br>Malinovskiy al 25'⏱<br><br> Roma 0️⃣ 1️⃣ Atalanta <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SerieA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SerieA</a> <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/gOH5BMA2uU">pic.twitter.com/gOH5BMA2uU</a></p>— Garra Sports (@GarraSportsMx) <a href="https://twitter.com/GarraSportsMx/status/1385278158702743553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a>
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<p id="CAHPAe">After Josip Ilicic—who only moments before nearly started a beautiful breakaway only to be denied—played the ball to Zapata at the point of the attack, the Colombian forward did well to buy time and shake off multiple Roma defenders at the edge of the area before playing Robin Gosens into space down the left side of the 18-yard box. After that, there wasn't much Roma could really do as Gosens hit Malinovskyi streaking towards the near post. It was a slow-developing play with a blink and you'd miss it finish but Roma certainly could have done better to prevent Zapata from playing the ball to Gosens, but this is Atalanta their best: quick passing, perfect spacing, and well-timed runs into the box. </p>
<p id="GRP3x8">The action continued to come throughout the remainder of the half with Atalanta peppering Lopez with 11 shots in total while Roma could only manage two at the other end. While the half started off pretty evenly matches, the pitch definitely tilted in Atalanta's favor after the first quarter-hour as they kept Roma pinned back with attacking wave after attacking wave.</p>
<h2 id="5z3lEf">Second Half</h2>
<p id="cMWBO9">With an almost immediate yellow card to Gonzalo Villar, one that gave Atalanta a free-kick in prime position right the middle of the area, the second half got off to a bit of an inauspicious start for Roma, who seemed doomed to suffer through another 45-minute master class in Gasperini greatness. </p>
<p id="9HjdsE">To their credit, while Roma were practically getting run off the pitch by the likes of Zapata, Gosens, Freuler, and many others, they did well to deny Atalanta, throwing whatever limbs they had handy in front of Atalanta's many attempts on goal. </p>
<p id="bL5rV6">Roma received a tasty free-kick of their own in the 57th minute but Jordan Veretout's attempt sailed well over the bar. And with Roma's attacking intent starting to show, Gasperini decided it was time to put the match beyond doubt as he brought Luis Muriel and Mario Pasalic into the match just shy of the hour mark. Gasperini would have been excused had he made a defensive change, but he decided to flex his attacking muscles once more.</p>
<p id="xa55Jc">Henrikh Mkhitaryan created Roma's best chance of the match in the 61st minute when he drove right through the heart of the defense, cut to his left, and fired a shot over the bar by a foot. With an hour of speculative long balls and passes that missed by a hair's breadth, Mkhitaryan decided to take manners into his own hands and it <em>almost </em>worked. </p>
<p id="tweet-text">Undaunted by that effort, Atalanta nearly put the match to bed in the 65th minute. Duvan Zapata, who by this point traded his shooting boots for his creating boots, played Luis Muriel into space down the right flank, leading his strike partner right past Roma's final defenders. And with nothing but an open goal staring him in the face, Muriel missed <em>badly</em>—firing high and wide. </p>
<p id="mK2Cab">That was likely the match-winner for Atalanta, but it was about to get so much worse for the visitors. With Roma primed to mount a comeback, they received a giant helping hand from Robin Gosens, who was sent off in the 69th minute with accumulated yellows after upending Jordan Veretout in midfield. </p>
<p id="AdAiy4">With 20 minutes to play and a one-man advantage, Roma suddenly had a spark in their step and threatened Gollini's goal immediately as Gianluca Mancini flashed a header at the near post off a set-piece. It was a glancing effort but Mancini was achingly close to leveling the game. </p>
<p id="A195zF">Dzeko would take his turn in the 72nd minute, receiving a great ball from Rick Karsdorp at the right edge of the box. Dzeko shielded the defense, turned fired only to see his effort narrowly miss the mark. </p>
<p id="kzLAcA">If the situations were reversed and Roma were planning an assault up the table while playing a scuffling opponent and piled up miss after miss, Roma fans would be fit to be tied, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.</p>
<p id="RagVMe">And drop it did. But for once, Roma was on the better end...</p>
<h3 id="VABszg">Bryan Cristante: 75th Minute (Roma 1, Atalanta 1)</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cristante goal for Roma against Atalanta <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeriaA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeriaA</a> 1-1<a href="https://t.co/xlMsBmzATT">pic.twitter.com/xlMsBmzATT</a></p>— Everything Sports (@CompleteSport24) <a href="https://twitter.com/CompleteSport24/status/1385294199159930881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a>
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<p id="BRhhp3">Just sit back and enjoy as Cristante picks out the lower left-hand corner from 25 yards out. Gollini may have been a tad slow off his mark—and you can see that he actually did get a bit of his forearm to the ball—but Cristante's shot had just enough dip on it to squeeze past the keeper. </p>
<p id="yczMat">Sensing an opportunity for an upset, Roma rushed forward, again and again, seeking a late match-winner. In the 81st minute, Lorenzo Pellegrini found Dzeko streaking down the right as he slipped past the defense but Dzeko's attempt—which was <em>right </em>at Gollini—wasn't equal to the pass or run that preceded it. </p>
<p id="BBmAXK">Fonseca would make an interesting swap in the 86th minute, moving to a two-striker system when he traded out Mkhitaryan for Borja Mayoral. Dzeko came remarkably close to a match-winner in the 88th minute with a flicked header that barely missed the frame of the goal. Moments later, we caught a glimpse of the Dzeko-Mayoral combo as the elder striker laid off a ball at the edge of the area, springing the young Spaniard into the box but Borja's attempt missed wide left. </p>
<p id="cc5mLq">With four minutes of stoppage time, both sides were equally primed to find a match-winner and once again Luis Muriel wasted a chance, pushing a shot low and to the left of López. Roma would be foiled at the other end a minute later when second-half sub Carles Pérez saw his low attempt pushed wide by Gollini.</p>
<p id="hWHieL">The match wouldn't end without more controversy as Roger Ibañez was sent off in the 94th minute with accumulated yellows of his own. Atalanta would have one final crack at goal via a Muriel free-kick but, once again, he wasn't up to the task, sparing Roma the ignominy of another defeat at the hands of Atalanta. </p>
<h2 id="PoDt2q">Final Thoughts</h2>
<p id="LlfcGm">For the second straight league match, Roma were bombarded with over 20 shots on goal, half of which were on target, but unlike last weekend's defeat to Torino, the Giallorossi were up to the task, putting up just enough resistance to withstand the barrage of shots. </p>
<p id="pxUWr0">There aren't too many broad-strokes or definitive conclusions we can take from this match—and really, nothing changed for Roma on the table—but they showed great fight in this match, seldom letting their hands hang while Atalanta were running circles around them.</p>
<p id="jyOIP8">The Giallorossi now have six matches remaining and with a 10 point gap behind fourth-place <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com">Juventus</a>, this draw probably seals Roma's fate—their slim top-four chances are all but dead now.</p>
<p id="APGx0O">Bring on United, that's our only hope!</p>
<h2 id="wL6r1T">Up Next</h2>
<p id="CtbyO7">Roma travels to Cagliari on Sunday.</p>
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https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/22/22397761/roma-1-atalanta-1-match-reviewbren2021-04-22T17:31:24+02:002021-04-22T17:31:24+02:00Roma vs. Atalanta: Lineups & Game Thread
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<p>Another big one as Roma welcomes Atalanta to the Olimpico. This six-pointer could be the final straw for Roma's CL hopes next season.</p> <p id="aNS7Bw">For most of our existence, Atalanta has just been a decidedly middling squad, so much so that my spell-checker still wants to correct it to Atlanta, even after nearly 10 years of covering the Goddesses twice a year. But thanks to Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical revelations and the club's nearly unparalleled scouting network, Atalanta has practically become the model franchise (oops, we're not supposed to use that word) in Serie A over the past few years.</p>
<p id="MksR7E">Thanks to a culture that rewards the recruitment, development, and flipping of young talents, Atalanta have not only kept their heads above water financially, but they've also become one of the most dangerous clubs in Europe, with a young and vibrant squad capable of making any opponent look foolish on any given night. </p>
<p id="QgqLfW">And with five straight wins, they're arguably the hottest team in the league, especially now that Milan was shocked by Sassuolo yesterday. Despite their incredible form, Atalanta needs this match to secure their place in the top four every bit as much <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">as Roma</a>.</p>
<aside id="h6gXbt"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{"stories":[{"title":"Roma's Slim Champions League Hopes Depend on Defeating Atalanta ","url":"https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/21/22395483/roma-atalanta-match-preview"},{"title":"How to Watch Roma vs. Atalanta: TV and Streaming Options","url":"https://www.chiesaditotti.com/roma-matchday-coverage/2021/4/22/22396687/how-to-watch-roma-vs-atalanta-tv-and-streaming-options"}]}"></div></aside><p id="xLqKJ1">The lineups are in, so let's get down to business!</p>
<h2 id="1PhenL">Lineups</h2>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> <br> <br>Here is our starting XI for this evening's game at the Olimpico! <br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASRoma?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ASRoma</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RomaAtalanta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RomaAtalanta</a> <a href="https://t.co/JTUUBpdBSm">pic.twitter.com/JTUUBpdBSm</a></p>— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASRomaEN/status/1385254633615110145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a>
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<p lang="it" dir="ltr"> Scendiamo in campo così all'Olimpico!<br> Here's our line-up to face <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialASRoma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficialASRoma</a>!<br>⠀<br>Presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/Plus500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Plus500</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RomaAtalanta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RomaAtalanta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SerieATIM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SerieATIM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAtalantaGo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAtalantaGo</a> ⚫️ <a href="https://t.co/VNmvZDlOwM">pic.twitter.com/VNmvZDlOwM</a></p>— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atalanta_BC/status/1385257036087185409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a>
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https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/22/22397479/roma-vs-atalanta-lineups-game-threadbren2021-04-22T01:24:07+02:002021-04-22T01:24:07+02:00How to Watch Roma vs. Atalanta: TV and Streaming Options
<figure>
<img alt="AS Roma v Ajax - UEFA Europa League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4G4N_F-k8ad9a_UXl9Ut2Huu6EE=/0x0:4282x2855/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69166541/1232355636.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here's how to catch Thursday's match against Atalanta.</p> <h3 id="HS9R7c">MATCH INFO</h3>
<p id="GlsyV1"><strong>Location: </strong>Stadio Olimpico, Roma</p>
<p id="es5LaA"><strong>Kick-off time:</strong> April 18th. 18:30 CET/12:30 EDT</p>
<h3 id="pmqbq5">WATCH IT</h3>
<div id="jGpfeb">
<div id="lstv-root-match-3777239" class="lstv-match" data-match="3777239" data-open="0" data-width="100%" data-height="auto"><a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3777239/roma-vs-atalanta/">Roma - Atalanta</a></div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src = "https://www.livesoccertv.com/widgets/sdk.js?v=82";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, "script", "lstv-jssdk"));</script>
</div>
<p id="N8QIat">If you live in the United States, you can watch on <a href="http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/535100/9070?sharedid=ChieseaDiTotti">ESPN+</a> (affiliate link) and we get a portion of the subscription if you use this link.</p>
<p id="Oj0XeG">If you live elsewhere in the world, there are plenty more viewing options <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3777239/roma-vs-atalanta/"><strong>here</strong></a>, and if you like snap judgments, cursing, and sarcasm, you can follow us <a href="https://twitter.com/chiesaditotti"><strong>on Twitter</strong></a>. If you haven’t already, join the fray on our message boards; we don’t bite. We’re also available at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Chiesa.Di.Totti">Zuckerberg Discount Data Warehouse</a>.</p>
<p id="V3Hq4t">Check out the stream below for our match preview, probable formations, and more.</p>
<p id="wKEsnl"></p>
<p id="eDI4qm"></p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/roma-matchday-coverage/2021/4/22/22396687/how-to-watch-roma-vs-atalanta-tv-and-streaming-optionsbren2021-04-21T20:16:12+02:002021-04-21T20:16:12+02:00Probable Formations: Roma vs Atalanta
<figure>
<img alt="Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez of AS Roma during the..." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ca9qdwd4dDoOrQ2TLLpQsEI83z4=/1x0:3574x2382/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69164530/1230614834.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andrea Staccioli/LightRocket via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Expect to see Roma’s best available XI against high flying Atalanta. </p> <p id="AoLB3f">With <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">Roma</a>’s league route to <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> qualification for all intents and purposes done and dusted, all eyes are squarely focused on the Europa League. However, that doesn’t mean that a match against third-place Atalanta can’t serve as useful preparation for the trip to Old Trafford in a week's time. Plus, Paulo Fonseca desperately needs a win against a top Serie A side. </p>
<p id="ZjLv2v">Therefore, expect the Portuguese tactician to play his best available eleven against the visitors from Bergamo on Thursday. We know the Giallorossi are in a busy stretch, but with many starters already rested against Torino and many likely to be rested again against Cagliari this will be the match for Roma’s preferred eleven. </p>
<p id="MAxe6h">With that in mind, Pau Lopez will return to Roma’s net after Antonio Mirante was peppered with shots by the Granata on Sunday. In front of him will be the ex-Atalanta trio of Gianluca Mancini, Bryan Cristante, and Roger Ibañez. </p>
<p id="Hf7tWT">Moving into the midfield, Amadou Diawara is suspended after his red card in Turin. Therefore, it’ll be a combo of Gonzalo Villar and Jordan Veretout in the center of the park. On the wings, Rick Karsdorp will start on the right and Riccardo Calafiori on the left. This match should serve as important experience for the Italian youngster with Leonardo Spinazzola looking iffy for the trip to England. </p>
<p id="tjQWoz">Moving into the attack, Edin Dzeko is expected to lead the line. Supporting him will be the duo of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3jmQy_nPXrNClYGfWT2lKEUe6Tk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22459944/96175CBC_A8AE_497C_B212_DA9925BC1F9F.png">
<cite>createformation.com</cite>
<figcaption>CDT Projected XI vs Atalanta</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="fkbQwo"></p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/21/22395790/probable-formations-roma-vs-atalantassciavillo2021-04-21T15:56:36+02:002021-04-21T15:56:36+02:00Roma's Slim Champions League Hopes Depend on Defeating Atalanta
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<img alt="Ajax v AS Roma - UEFA Europa League Quarter Final: Leg One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wE9uulhPpQki19i__6A694Dp_k4=/0x0:5477x3651/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69162357/1232200529.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by DeFodi Images via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Gonzalo Villar could loom large as Roma looks to upend Atalanta for the first time since 2017. Their slim Champions League hopes may rest on his slim shoulders.</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap" id="zEdjMa">With the European Super League essentially dead on arrival, the awkward scenario that would have seen Roma backdoor their way into next season's <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> is about as lame as the Super League logo itself; two flimsy technicolor dreams that quickly faded into a monochromatic nightmare.</p>
<p id="DORg7q">The past several days have been unlike anything modern football has seen since the advent of the Premiership nearly 30 years ago but it has underscored one crucial element of <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">Roma's</a> business model: Champions League revenue remains vital to the Friedkin Group's ambitions plans for the capital club.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wVPA06">
<p id="89K0FY"><strong>Roma vs. Atalanta:</strong> April 22nd. 18:30 CET/12:30 EDT. Stadio Olimpico, Roma.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="SwsZYh">
<p id="maokab">With normality somewhat restored across the continent, we turn our attention back to the story of 2021: Roma's dogged and floundering pursuit of a place in Serie A's top four, which would guarantee them a place in next season's Champions League.</p>
<p id="gj97bA">This week's opponents, Gian Piero Gasperini's impressive Atalanta side, themselves a Champions League competitor over the past few seasons, have ripped off five consecutive league wins, including a 1-0 blanking of <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com">Juventus</a> last weekend, and have defeated Paulo Fonseca at every turn turning his two years in Rome.</p>
<p id="OIbpNq">Roma has seven matches remaining to close an eight-point gap behind fourth-place Juventus but with fixtures remaining against Atalanta, Inter (who may have the title wrapped up by the time they play in round 36), and Lazio, the Giallorossi will have multiple chances to score points off their direct rivals.</p>
<p id="BLRZvo">Hope isn't lost, but it’s clinging to life support. However, before we dive into Thursday's match against Atalanta, let's take a quick look back at the last fixture.</p>
<h2 id="P6tEpp">Last Match</h2>
<h3 id="Xj57Rz">December 20, 2020: Atalanta 4, Roma 1</h3>
<div id="AXqhp0"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tLX82GZ6roE?rel=0&%3Bstart=175&start=175" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="zmJRuX">Oh god, you remember this match, don't you? Roma, who hadn't defeated Atalanta since August 2017 (and still haven't), rushed out to a lead in the third minute thanks to a great low cross and tap-in between Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Edin Dzeko and clung to that slim lead for the first hour of the match but they would quickly lose their grip. Once Gasperini brought Josip Ilicic into the match, the momentum completely swung as the 33-year-old attacking midfielder set up two goals in the span of 11 minutes to give Atalanta the lead.</p>
<p id="SbNDfE">The Goddesses would add two more goals, including one from Ilicic, giving Roma a nice early holiday gift: a resounding 4-1 beatdown. </p>
<p id="lVr9uH">Paulo Fonseca has insisted that Roma's league hopes remain alive and well and scoring his first-ever win over Atalanta would provide a tremendous boost to that argument, so let's take a look at a couple of the key storylines in this Round 32 fixture.</p>
<h2 id="KiuDfo">Keep An Eye On</h2>
<h3 id="1aFYrj">Who's Going to Score the Goals?</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Torino FC v AS Roma - Serie A" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DfDmaBD8ft5nGuUCGpM7_SFRxMs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22459341/1232400500.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Sportinfoto/DeFodi Images via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="C7EL1H">On March 11th, Roma hosted Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League and blew their Ukrainian opponents off the pitch in a dominant 3-0 victory. Fueled by goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Gianluca Mancini, Roma left little doubt as to which club was the stronger side that night. </p>
<p id="IZF37F">We didn't know it at the time, but that was the last sure-fire, no doubt victory Fonseca would conjure up in 2021. Since that mid-March evening, Roma has won three, lost three, and drawn two matches. However, more troubling than that uneven record has been the complete disappearance of Fonseca's once-vaunted attack.</p>
<p id="t4mbb8">Over that eight-match span, Roma has been blanked by Parma and Napoli and fell to Torino in a shocking 3-1 defeat last weekend but even their victories have been underwhelming. Roma hasn't managed more than a one-goal margin of victory since that 3-0 win over Shakhtar in March.</p>
<p id="CUnXRq">A win is a win, of course, but when you're living on a razor's edge like Roma, you have zero room for error. If you can't count on your attack to overwhelm an opponent that heaps further pressure on your defense and keeper, which, for Roma, can be an uncomfortable proposition at times. </p>
<p id="qVsRwK">If Roma wants to notch their first win over Atalanta in three-and-a-half years, they have to—to borrow a phrase from Irish sports commentator Tommy Smyth—budge the old onion net more than once tomorrow.</p>
<h3 id="JAQsri">Duvan Zapata</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Atalanta BC v Juventus - Serie A" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fvZ8-EwngDa7oqX29jTlRg464rs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22459367/1313126445.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="K02knA">I suppose it's somewhat fitting that amidst all the Super League controversy this week, we lost sight of an interesting transfer rumor: Duvan Zapata to Roma. Zapata, a 30-year-old Colombian striker, has been a thorn in the Giallorossi's side throughout his time in Italy. In 11 career matches against Roma, Zapata has scored four goals, including three strikes in the past four matches.</p>
<p id="TJMn1F">When you look at Zapata's 2020-2021 shot chart, one thing becomes clear: you have to keep this dude on the edges of the area. If he's allowed free reign in the middle of the area, damage ensues. </p>
<p id="utjKJL">Keeping Zapata hemmed in will fall squarely on the slim shoulders of Gonzalo Villar, who will likely get the start in defensive midfield with Amadou Diawara suspended for this match. Defending is a team effort of course, but Villar has to do whatever he can to take the pressure off the back three. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="u7kOls">We'll leave it there. Roma is still mathematically alive in Serie A's top-four race, but with the Europa League route no sure thing, Paulo Fonseca and Roma must ace this test—his future in Roma depends on it. </p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2021/4/21/22395483/roma-atalanta-match-previewbren