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Atalanta gave Roma a scare, but Francesco Totti and Amantino Mancini overturned the result to keep up with Inter.
The Giallorossi knew they had to improve their away form against the medium clubs to have any hope of catching runaway leaders Inter. Atalanta were set to be a particularly tough test, though, as they were in eighth place with a game in hand and led by former Roma boss Gigi Del Neri. Marco Cassetti and Cristiano Doni sat out bans, with long-term injuries Claudio Rivalta, Leonardo Talamonti, Costinha and Simone Inzaghi sidelined.
Roma had won just one of their last four top flight trips to Bergamo and their 2-1 defeat here last season mathematically handed Inter the Scudetto.
Francesco Totti went on a slalom and cut back for Simone Perrotta's deflected strike off Moris Carrozzieri, then Perrotta sparked a move that allowed Amantino Mancini to spring the offside trap and bring a tough save out of Ferdinando Coppola one-on-one.
A Philippe Mexes error handed the ball to Fernando Tissone and the Argentine tested Alexander Doni's reflexes. From the resulting corner kick Carrozzieri odded off target.
David Pizarro skimmed the woodwork, but it was Atalanta who broke through with a well-worked goal. Guarente flicked on a cross with his heel for Ferreira Pinto's quick snapshot into the far bottom corner. It was a fine way for the Brazilian to mark his 50th Serie A appearance.
Rodrigo Taddei's chipped cross found Mancini at the back post for a right-foot volley over the bar. Roma were wasting several great chances to equalise, but Coppola parried a Mexes attempt and Perrotta blasted the rebound over the bar.
Totti finally got the Giallorossi back into the game with a daisy-cutter of a free kick that had been touched on so that he could blast it amid the defensive wall.
Roma turned the game around on the stroke of half-time. Mancini gathered a corner kick just inside the box, confused defenders with step-overs and blasted a powerful right-foot finish into the far corner.
Striker Zlatan Muslimovic came on for the second half, while Carrozzieri and Guarente had shots off target.
Roma had hit the back of the net for a third time, but Perrotta was incorrectly flagged offside as he ran on to Totti's through ball. Bellini was keeping the World Cup winner in play.
Doni got down well to fingertip a Muslimovic header round the base of the upright, but the goalkeeper was let off by some appalling Floccari finishing on the counter.
Moments later subsitute Padoin blasted a poorly cleared free kick over the bar from nine yards. Muslimovic ran on to a splendid Floccari assist only to drill well wide.
Mancini curled over the bar on the counter late on, while Muslimovic was again wasteful.
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