Roma’s dramatic victory was supported by overwhelming statistical dominance, with 39 shots, 67 percent possession and an expected-goals total above 3.00.
Roma required two goals in the closing minutes to defeat Atalanta, but the underlying statistics suggest that Gian Piero Gasperini’s side deserved much more than a narrow 2-1 victory.
The Giallorossi controlled possession, dominated territory and created chances throughout the match. Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi produced nine saves, while Roma also struck the woodwork twice before Mario Hermoso and Matías Soulé completed the late turnaround.
Roma-Atalanta complete team statistics
| Statistic | Roma | Atalanta |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Expected goals | 3.25 | 0.77 |
| Possession | 67% | 33% |
| Total shots | 39 | 6 |
| Shots on target | 10 | 2 |
| Big chances created | 5 | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 5 | 1 |
| Woodwork | 2 | 0 |
| Chances created | 30 | 5 |
| Key passes | 28 | 5 |
| Expected assists | 3.07 | 0.29 |
| Touches in the opposition box | 73 | 16 |
| Corners | 14 | 1 |
| Completed passes | 556 | 259 |
| Attempted passes | 622 | 331 |
| Passing accuracy | 89% | 78% |
| Final-third passes | 241 | 76 |
| Successful crosses | 18 | 2 |
| Attempted crosses | 42 | 4 |
| Successful take-ons | 9 | 2 |
| Attempted take-ons | 15 | 14 |
| Offsides | 4 | 4 |
| Tackles | 15 | 13 |
| Tackles won | 9 | 9 |
| Interceptions | 15 | 7 |
| Clearances | 7 | 35 |
| Recoveries | 59 | 42 |
| Duels won | 44 | 38 |
| Aerial duels won | 10 | 14 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 1 | 9 |
| Fouls | 9 | 10 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
Statistics via StatMuse. Atalanta’s red card was shown to Gianluca Gaetano after the final whistle.
What the xG says about Roma’s performance
StatMuse calculated Roma’s expected-goals total at 3.25, compared with only 0.77 for Atalanta.
Different data providers use their own models to evaluate the quality of shots. For example, xGscore placed the totals at 3.42 for Roma and 0.74 for Atalanta. Despite that small variation, every model reaches the same conclusion: Roma created enough opportunities to win comfortably.
The Giallorossi underperformed their 3.25 xG by 1.25 goals. Atalanta, meanwhile, scored once from chances valued at a combined 0.77.
Roma’s 2.48 xG advantage demonstrates that the 2-1 scoreline did not accurately reflect the difference between the teams’ attacking production.
The expected-goals-on-target figures make Carnesecchi’s influence even clearer. Roma generated approximately 2.95 xGOT, while Atalanta finished at only 0.37. The Atalanta goalkeeper therefore prevented the contest from being decided much earlier.
Roma’s 39 shots tell the story
Roma attempted 39 shots, compared with only six from Atalanta.
That means approximately 87 percent of all shots in the match belonged to the Giallorossi. Roma averaged one attempt roughly every two and a half minutes.
Ten of those efforts were on target, forcing Carnesecchi to make nine saves. Santiago Castro also struck the post and crossbar after replacing Donyell Malen in the 63rd minute.
Roma’s shooting volume was extraordinary, but the team lacked efficiency for much of the night. Several attempts were directed too close to Carnesecchi or lacked the power required to seriously trouble him.
Gasperini acknowledged after the match that his team had attacked well but had not shown its usual ruthlessness.
That combination explains how Roma could completely dominate the statistical categories yet remain behind until the 89th minute.
Territorial domination at the Olimpico
Roma’s 67 percent possession was accompanied by an even more impressive territorial advantage.
The Giallorossi recorded 73 touches inside Atalanta’s penalty area, compared with only 16 for the visitors. They also completed 241 passes in the final third—more than three times Atalanta’s total of 76.
Roma created 30 shooting opportunities and registered 28 key passes. Atalanta produced only five in each category.
The corner count was similarly one-sided at 14-1. That pressure eventually produced the equalizer when Soulé delivered a corner and Hermoso headed beyond Carnesecchi.
Atalanta’s 35 clearances, compared with only seven by Roma, provide another indication of how the match was played. Maurizio Sarri’s team spent long periods protecting its penalty area and attempting to survive Roma’s repeated attacks.
Passing numbers underline Roma’s control
Roma attempted 622 passes and completed 556 for an accuracy rate of 89 percent.
Atalanta completed only 259 of their 331 attempts, recording a 78 percent success rate.
The difference was not simply caused by Roma exchanging safe passes inside their own half. Their 241 final-third passes and 42 attempted crosses show how frequently possession was converted into attacking pressure.
Roma completed 18 crosses, compared with only two from Atalanta. The Giallorossi also succeeded with nine of their 15 attempted dribbles, while Atalanta completed only two of 14.
Those figures illustrate Roma’s ability to progress both through combinations and individual actions.
Soulé delivers the decisive individual performance
Soulé attempted seven shots after entering in the 54th minute—more than the entire Atalanta team managed across the full match.
The Argentine recorded three efforts on target, created Hermoso’s goal from a corner and scored the winner in stoppage time. His individual xG was approximately 0.42, but the significance of his contribution extended beyond the quality of his chances.
Paulo Dybala accumulated Roma’s highest individual xG at approximately 0.82 and provided the assist for Soulé’s winner.
Castro generated around 0.49 xG despite playing fewer than 30 minutes. Rodrigo Mora finished with approximately 0.48, while Bryan Cristante, Gianluca Mancini, Hermoso and Manu Koné all produced attempts from promising positions.
The numbers support Soulé’s selection as RomaDaily’s Player of the Match, but they also demonstrate how broadly Roma distributed their attacking threat.
Gasperini’s substitutions increased the pressure
Roma’s substitutes did more than provide fresh legs.
Soulé added direct attacking quality, Castro occupied the central defenders and Molina increased the supply from the right. Daniele Ghilardi and Leonardo Balerdi allowed Roma to maintain an aggressive defensive line without becoming overly vulnerable to counterattacks.
The result was sustained pressure throughout the final half-hour. Roma repeatedly recovered the ball before Atalanta could leave its own half and immediately began another attack.
A complete tactical examination is available in our analysis of how Gasperini’s substitutions transformed Roma against Atalanta.
What Roma can learn from the numbers
The statistics provide considerable encouragement for Gasperini.
Roma controlled a match against strong opposition, created more than three expected goals and restricted Atalanta to six attempts. The team also demonstrated the depth and mentality required to change the result from the bench.
The principal concern was efficiency. Roma required 39 shots to score twice and remained vulnerable to losing despite producing overwhelming pressure.
That issue will become more dangerous in the Champions League, where the strongest opponents may punish missed opportunities more severely.
Nevertheless, the overall performance was far more convincing than the final score suggests. Roma did not steal the result during stoppage time—they finally received the reward their statistical dominance deserved.
Source: StatMuse and xGscore
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