Gian Piero Gasperini’s comments after Atalanta v Roma

Here is what our coach had to say.

You only conceded two shots on target to Atalanta: what’s your assessment of Roma’s performance? And what’s your opinion on tonight’s very controversial goal?

“I haven’t had a chance to review the play, so my opinion is based on what I saw from the dugout. We were certainly disappointed that we conceded such a goal, especially after we were able to create two major chances and could’ve taken the lead. We started off well against a very good team, which we knew Atalanta are. Statistics aside, I’m happy with the volume of play and the chances we created.”

Roma played their game. Maybe there was something missing that prevented you from winning the match?

“We played a difficult match against a quality opponent that doesn’t concede anything. Perhaps we could’ve done a bit more in some parts of the game, but we also have to take into account Atalanta’s physical strength and quality.”

Is your biggest regret the chance that came from Ederson’s mistake, with Paulo Dybala who maybe made the wrong choice?

“It’s hard to say and it’s also a bit unfair. These mistakes can also be made when you’re twenty or twenty-five years old; it’s not a matter of age. It was a major chance. Then there was also the subsequent save and other situations where we got into good positions. It was a hard match. We fought hard and it was well played. We also had some chances where we could’ve equalised, but we were up against a well-established team that has been built over a period of years. They’re a good, solid team. Atalanta play in the Champions League. They finished third in the league last year and tonight they showed that they are still very good.”

Roma don’t seem to have half measures: they either win or they lose. Is this one of the team’s characteristics?

“It’s certainly something to consider, since we’ve played many games. It’s also true that when we concede a goal, as was the case tonight, we get very close to equalising but fail to score in the end, while when we take the lead, we often win. After playing eighteen matches, it’s a pretty clear trend, but it’s part of our growth process. There’s still room for improvement, and this team and club can still grow.”