Roma's Francesco Totti salvages late point against struggling Atalanta

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:00 am
Francesco Totti grabbed a late equaliser for Roma on Sunday.
Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Struggling Atalanta dealt a blow to Roma's hopes of overhauling second-placed Napoli in Serie A by earning a thrilling 3-3 draw in Bergamo.

The visitors went into the game knowing they could close to within three points of their rivals after Napoli went down 2-0 at Inter Milan on Saturday.

But in the end Roma were indebted to veteran Francesco Totti, who came off the bench to rescue a point five minutes from time.

The hosts had also gone into the game with plenty to play for after last weekend's loss at Torino left them far from mathematically certain of safety.

But Roma seized control from the word go and look set to cruise to victory after Lucas Digne's 23rd-minute opener was followed four minutes later by a second from Radja Nainggolan.

But Atlanta launched a stunning response, Marco D'Alessandro bundling home their first in the 33rd minute then Marco Borriello ensuring they were level before half-time.

Boriello fired his second into the bottom corner five minutes into the second half to give Atlanta a shock lead, and missed a glorious chance to complete his hat-trick.

Edin Dzeko remained Roma's biggest danger man and came close to threatening Atlanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello as the game moved towards its conclusion.

But in the end it fell to Totti, a 78th-minute replacement for Daniele De Rossi, to steer the ball home and salvage a point which kept the third-spotted Giallorossi in the hunt for an automatic Champions League berth, albeit five points behind Napoli with five games left.