Atalanta secured a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Roma on Monday, confirming a top-four finish in Serie A with two matches remaining.
Ademola Lookman opened the scoring early for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men, but Roma drew level in the 32nd minute through Bryan Cristante’s header against his former club.
The decisive moment came in the 76th minute when Ibrahim Sulemana fired home the winner, ending Roma’s 19-match unbeaten run and pushing Atalanta seven points clear of fifth-placed Lazio.
With the win, Atalanta move into third place, guaranteeing Champions League qualification, while Roma remain one point behind fourth-placed Juventus and Lazio in the race for the final European spot.
Roma still have a shot at the top four but face a tough test against in-form AC Milan next weekend, while Juventus host struggling Udinese.
Despite the setback, it’s been a remarkable turnaround for Roma under Claudio Ranieri, who returned from retirement in November to guide his boyhood club away from relegation danger and into European contention.
Gasperini, whose tenure has brought sustained success to Atalanta — including last season’s Europa League triumph — is reportedly being considered as a potential successor to Ranieri.
