AS Roma vs Atalanta: Tactical Analysis of the 1–1 Draw

AS Roma and Atalanta shared a 1–1 draw at Stadio Olimpico in Serie A’s Regular Season - 33, a match defined less by chaos in the boxes than by a controlled territorial duel. Roma overturned an early deficit to level before the break and then largely dictated territory and shot volume without ever converting that control into a winner. Both sides mirrored each other in a 3-4-2-1, but the underlying numbers – 19 shots to 8, 9–2 in shots on target, and a possession edge of 53–47 – underline that it was Roma who imposed the clearer attacking structure, while Atalanta leaned heavily on compactness and goalkeeper resilience to escape with a point.

First Half

Nikola Krstović’s opener in the 12th minute was the clearest expression of Atalanta’s early game plan. From their 3-4-2-1 base, Raffaele Palladino’s side looked to find Marten de Roon early between Roma’s lines, then spring direct runs from the front three. De Roon received and released Krstović with a vertical pass that split the outside centre-back channel, the No. 90 timing his movement off the back of Evan Ndicka and finishing clinically past Mile Svilar for 0–1. It was one of only two Atalanta shots on target all night but showed how their central midfield could hurt Roma if allowed to turn under minimal pressure.

Roma’s response was methodical rather than frantic. Piero Gasperini Gian’s 3-4-2-1 used Devyne Rensch and Zeki Çelik as aggressive wing-backs, with Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui forming the central hinge. The equaliser at 45' came from exactly that wing-back dynamic: Rensch advanced high on the right, exploiting the space outside Sead Kolasinac, and delivered a ball that found Mario Hermoso arriving from the left side of the back three. Hermoso’s finish for 1–1 encapsulated Roma’s structural idea – outside centre-backs stepping into advanced zones when wing-backs pinned Atalanta’s wide midfielders deep.

Second Half

Halftime arrived at 1–1, and Palladino’s triple substitution at 46' was a clear tactical reset. Honest Ahanor (IN) came on for Sead Kolasinac (OUT), Odilon Kossounou (IN) for Giorgio Scalvini (OUT), and Nicola Zalewski (IN) for Charles De Ketelaere (OUT). The defensive swaps refreshed legs in the wide and central lanes of the back three, while Zalewski offered more transitional speed than De Ketelaere, hinting at a second-half plan built around counter-attacks rather than sustained possession.

That reading was reinforced at 54', when Lorenzo Bernasconi (IN) replaced Raoul Bellanova (OUT). Atalanta effectively rotated their entire right flank, prioritising defensive solidity and recovery pace over Bellanova’s more attacking profile. The cost was attacking presence: Atalanta finished with only 8 shots, 2 on target, and just 2 efforts from inside the box, illustrating how deeply they were forced back.

Roma’s own substitution wave at 60' was designed to add energy and verticality to their dominance of the ball. Daniele Ghilardi (IN) came on for Gianluca Mancini (OUT), Niccolò Pisilli (IN) for Neil El Aynaoui (OUT), and Lorenzo Venturino (IN) for Stephan El Shaarawy (OUT). Ghilardi maintained the left-sided build-up stability Hermoso and Ndicka required to step forward, while Pisilli added more forward-running from midfield compared to El Aynaoui’s more positional profile. Venturino offered fresh legs in the front line to keep stretching Atalanta’s back three.

The disciplinary phase began to shape the rhythm from 65' onwards. Éderson’s yellow card at 65' for a foul was a direct consequence of Roma’s control between the lines; the Brazilian was forced into a late challenge as Roma’s interior rotations dragged him away from his screening position. At 71', Robinio Vaz (IN) replaced Matías Soulé (OUT), a like-for-like attacking change that kept Roma’s pressing intensity and dribbling threat high in the half-spaces.

Roma’s only booking came at 75', when Niccolò Pisilli was shown a yellow card for a foul, underlining his aggressive interpretation of the midfield role after coming on. At 78', Konstantinos Tsimikas (IN) entered for Devyne Rensch (OUT), flipping the attacking emphasis of the left flank; Tsimikas, a natural left-back, provided more overlapping and crossing from that side, while Çelik stayed higher on the right.

Atalanta’s final substitution at 80' was both tactical and protective: Mario Pašalić (IN) replaced Éderson (OUT), who was already on a yellow. Pašalić offered late-arriving runs to support Krstović but mostly had to operate deep due to Roma’s territorial pressure. The final disciplinary action came at 90+1', when Berat Djimsiti received a yellow card for a foul, emblematic of Atalanta’s increasingly reactive defending in stoppage time.

Goalkeeping Performance

In goal, the contrast was stark. Mile Svilar faced only 2 shots on target and made 1 save, conceding once. His low workload reflects Roma’s strong Defensive Index on the night: they limited Atalanta to 0.68 xG and just two box shots, a sign of effective control of central zones by Cristante, Ndicka, Hermoso and later Ghilardi. At the other end, Marco Carnesecchi produced 8 saves from 9 shots on target, a high-impact display that effectively outperformed Roma’s 0.9 xG total despite the “goals prevented” metric reading 0. His interventions, especially against Roma’s frequent box entries (15 shots inside the area), were decisive in preserving the draw.

Statistical Overview

Statistically, Roma’s Overall Form in this fixture was that of a dominant home side: 53% possession, 535 total passes at 86% accuracy, 19 shots, and 7 corners, but only 0.9 xG, suggesting that volume did not always translate into elite-quality chances. Atalanta’s Overall Form was more conservative: 47% possession, 491 passes at 80% accuracy, 8 shots, 6 corners, and 0.68 xG, consistent with a compact, counter-oriented approach.

Disciplinary totals were clear: Roma finished with 1 yellow card and no reds; Atalanta with 2 yellow cards and no reds, all cautions explicitly for fouls. Fouls themselves were heavily tilted – 4 committed by Roma versus 14 by Atalanta – underlining how often the visitors had to break up play to disrupt Roma’s rhythm.

Taken together, the data paints a picture of a Roma side with a strong Defensive Index and territorial control, but slightly blunt edge in the final third, against an Atalanta team whose point was built on structural adjustments, defensive discipline, and an excellent performance from Carnesecchi.