Serie A | Atalanta 1-0 Roma: Scalvini ruins Gasperini return to Bergamo

Giorgio Scalvini scored the decisive goal as Atalanta gave Gian Piero Gasperini a painful return to Bergamo, forcing Roma to leave empty-handed.

This was an emotional evening with Gasperini’s first return to Bergamo as an opponent after nine years at the club. Ivan Juric struggled to replace him, but things had improved since Raffaele Palladino took over on November 11. Ademola Lookman and Odilon Kossounou were still at AFCON, with Raoul Bellanova and Mitchel Bakker injured, so Nicola Zalewski was moved into a more advanced role. The Giallorossi missed Evan Ndicka and Neil El Aynaoui on international duty, with Lorenzo Pellegrini, Tommaso Baldanzi and Leon Bailey out of action, plus Wesley and Artem Dovbyk only fit for the bench.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Roma had an early double opportunity when Paulo Dybala intercepted a weak Ederson back-pass, laying it off for Evan Ferguson, but one shot was parried by Marco Carnesecchi and the rebound lob cleared off the line by Berat Djimsiti.

Atalanta had the ball in the net after 12 minutes when Mile Svilar flapped at a corner and Giorgio Scalvini bundled it over the line from six yards with his chest. VAR had a long look, both for a potential foul on the goalkeeper and possible handball, but ultimately gave the all-clear because if anyone was impeding the goalkeeper, it was Devyne Rensch.

Zalewski scuffed wide at the end of a well-worked team move where he combined with Gianluca Scamacca and Ederson, but Atalanta lost Sead Kolasinac to a knee injury after just 26 minutes.

Scamacca turned Jan Ziolkowski to fire wide from the edge of the area, but he did score moments later when Bernasconi stood up a cross from the by-line down the left and the Italy international was allowed a free header from six yards. Scamacca refused to celebrate against his hometown club. However, it was disallowed after a very long VAR review, as Scamacca was offside in the build-up, even though it was Mario Hermoso’s error that sparked the move.

Scalvini intercepted a dangerous Matias Soulé ball rolled across from the right and Manu Koné ballooned the rebound over.

Gianluca Mancini and Hermoso were booked before half-time and will be suspended when Roma play Lecce midweek.

Roma had a huge opportunity to equalise at the dawn of the second half, as Evan Ferguson controlled with his back to goal, flicked it up on the turn and hit a half-volley, forcing a fantastic one-handed save from Marco Carnesecchi.

Matias Soulé also tested the goalkeeper at the near post, while Berat Djimsiti made a decisive block on Paulo Dybala trying to flick in the Wesley pull-back from six yards.

Bernasconi also went close on the counter, his finish through Wesley’s legs deflected just wide, and Nikola Krstovic nodded off target from a corner.

In stoppages, Mancini’s flick over the top sent Dybala through, but Carnesecchi was quick off his line to smother. Svilar had the final one-handed low save to deny the Krstovic angled drive.

Atalanta 1-0 Roma

Scalvini 11 (A)