Lookman's Atalanta beat Roma to move second in Serie A

Ademola Lookman struggled, but Atalanta coped without their starman shining as they beat Roma 2-0 to move within touching distance of league leaders Napoli.

Roma, seeking to revive their season after four losses in five league games, started brightly. Leandro Paredes' early shot from outside the box forced Marco Carnesecchi into a sharp save, but the hosts' promising start soon fizzled out. Clear-cut chances were scarce for both sides in the first-half, with Manu Kone’s strike from distance sailing narrowly wide.

The interval failed to spark significant offensive creativity from either side, with the hour mark approaching without a single shot on goal. However, Atalanta soon broke the deadlock when Marten de Roon's powerful strike from outside the box, aided by a wicked deflection, beat Mile Svilar to open the scoring.

Roma struggled to recover from this setback, and their fate was sealed when two former players combined to double Atalanta's lead. Juan Cuadrado's pinpoint delivery found Nicolo Zaniolo, who rifled a header into the back of the net, condemning Roma to another defeat.