Mario Pasalic scored the winner seconds after coming off the bench as Atalanta came from behind to beat Roma 2-1 and consolidate fourth pla...
Mario Pasalic scored the winner seconds after coming off the bench as Atalanta came from behind to beat Roma 2-1 and consolidate fourth place in Serie A on Saturday at the expense of their Champions League rivals from the capital.
The Croatia midfielder came on just before the hour mark in Bergamo to fire in the crucial goal 19 seconds later, to boost confidence ahead of his side’s first ever Champions League last 16 game against Valencia, not at their home 21,300-seater Gewiss Stadium, but at the much larger San Siro next week.
“This is an important victory,” said Atalanta coach Gianpiero Gasperini.
“Against a side like Roma this advantage is not definitive. They are a strong team, but in us there is the belief that we can finish in front.”
Atalanta are eight points behind third-placed Lazio, who host leaders Inter Milan on Sunday.
In three-team title race, Inter are ahead of Juventus on goal difference with Lazio just a further point behind.
The champions host Brescia on Sunday.
Josip Ilicic had threatened after half an hour for the hosts, firing wide, with a Rafael Toloi overhead kick off target minutes later.
But it was Roma who broke through first with Edin Dzeko pouncing on a defensive blunder from Jose Luis Palomino.
Dzeko dispossessed the centre-back...
