Serie A Matchday 18 Roundup: Atalanta Sink Roma As Juventus Stumble Again

Serie A’s Matchday 18 fixtures on Saturday saw Atalanta edge past Roma, Juventus dropping crucial points at home, and several sides across the Italian top flight fighting to pull clear of danger.

The weekend’s fixtures also saw a minute’s silence being observed before kick-off in memory of the victims of the fire at a bar in Crans-Montana. At least 40 people have died in that tragic incident in Switzerland.

Gasperini’s Bergamo Return Ends In Defeat

Gian Piero Gasperini’s first competitive return to Bergamo since leaving Atalanta in the summer ended on the wrong note, as his AS Roma side suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Gewiss Stadium.

The decisive moment arrived early, with Giorgio Scalvini scoring in the 12th minute, bundling home from a corner to give Atalanta the lead. That goal proved enough to lift the hosts to eighth place in the standings.

Atalanta thought they had doubled the advantage when Gianluca Scamacca found the net in the 28th minute, but the strike was chalked off after a prolonged VAR review ruled the forward offside at the start of the move.

For Roma, the defeat was costly. A victory would have taken them level on points with second-placed Inter Milan, but instead they remain locked alongside Juventus, who sit fourth after failing to win in their own match.

Gasperini had spent nine transformative seasons at Atalanta, turning the club into a domestic and European force before departing in the summer. Since then, Atalanta have struggled for consistency and are already under their second coach post-Gasperini.

Juventus Held, Penalty Miss Proves Costly

Juventus missed the chance to capitalise on Roma’s slip, being held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Lecce despite dominating most of the match.

Against the run of play, Lecce struck first in first-half stoppage time. What looked like a harmless pass from Andrea Cambiaso to Pierre Kalulu fell short, allowing Lameck Banda to pounce, beat two defenders and fire into the near corner.

Juventus responded quickly after the interval. Weston McKennie finished smartly after a neat exchange with Kenan Yildiz, scoring his first league goal of the season, having already netted twice in the UEFA Champions League.

The Bianconeri had a golden chance to go ahead when they were awarded a penalty after Mohamed Kaba blocked Jonathan David’s shot with his arm. However, David’s effort from the spot was weak and central, allowing Wladimiro Falcone to save.

Falcone proved decisive again late on, producing an excellent stop from David’s powerful strike, while Yildiz also struck the post deep into stoppage time as Juventus laid siege to the Lecce goal.

The draw lifted Lecce to five points clear of the relegation zone, while Juventus moved into fourth place, level on points with Roma.

Mid-Table, Relegation Scrap Tightens

Elsewhere, Como continued their steady climb, moving three points behind Roma and Juventus after a 1-0 home win over Udinese, secured by a Lucas Da Cunha penalty.

In the lower reaches, Genoa and Pisa played out a 1-1 draw in a relegation six-pointer that offered little relief to either side. Genoa had gone ahead through a stunning Lorenzo Colombo strike, only for Pisa midfielder Mehdi Leris to equalise in chaotic manner just before the break.

Genoa remain three points above Pisa and Hellas Verona, though Verona have two games in hand. Meanwhile, Parma earned a 1-1 draw away at Sassuolo, leaving them six points above the drop zone.

(With AP Inputs)