Roma defeat Atalanta 2-1 to maintain perfect start at top of Serie A

Roma complete comeback victory at Stadio Olimpico

Roma defeated Atalanta 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, 5 September, securing a comeback victory in the third matchday of the Serie A season. The win preserves Roma's position at the top of the Serie A table with a perfect record of three wins from three games. Atalanta challenged the hosts across sustained periods of the encounter, but Roma overturned the deficit to take all three points in front of their home supporters in Rome.

Perfect start to the campaign and supporter reactions

The 2-1 victory follows two 4-0 wins for Roma in the opening two rounds against Fiorentina and Lecce. Having recorded ten goals scored and only one conceded across their first three fixtures, Roma remain sole leaders in the championship. The winning streak prompted widespread discussion among supporters on the social media platform X, where fans declared the squad capable of winning the scudetto with phrases such as "we will win the scudetto" and "this year we are the strongest". Other supporters referenced the club's centenary year and compared the current momentum to the 2000/2001 title-winning season.

Sarri evaluates Roma form and title chances

Speaking to Sky Sport after the match, Atalanta manager Maurizio Sarri reflected on his team's performance against the league leaders. Sarri conceded that Atalanta faced substantial difficulty contending with Roma's intensity, especially in the final minutes when his team struggled to regain territory on the pitch. Despite the loss, Sarri expressed satisfaction with how his players competed against a side he described as impressive.

Ours was a performance of suffering, but we leave with the conviction that we caused trouble for a team that today is impressive.

Sarri identified Roma as the team in the best form during the opening weeks of the Serie A season and predicted that they would remain contenders for the championship throughout the year.

We met the team in the best form of this start of the championship. They will fight for the title until the end.

Sarri added that while Atalanta remain behind Roma at this stage of the season, the squad is showing clear signs of growth.

Disputed red card for Gaetano in the final minutes

The conclusion of the match at the Stadio Olimpico was marked by a disputed refereeing decision involving Atalanta player Gianluca Gaetano. Referee Colombo issued a direct red card to Gaetano in the final minutes of the match, prompting sharp criticism from Sarri during his post-match comments. Sarri argued that the referee had misread the interaction entirely and committed an obvious error.

He says he said absolutely nothing to the referee, and those around him told me the same. I think Colombo completely confused the situation. It was a clear mistake on his part.

The dismissal left Atalanta finishing the contest with ten players as Roma closed out their 2-1 victory to maintain their perfect start to the Serie A campaign.