Although he has guided Roma to two straight second-placed finishes, including during one season that they recorded an impressive ten straight wins, Rudi Garcia is a man under pressure. For starters, the Giallorossi, who have long aspired to see themselves on the Scudetto podium for the first time in over a decade have tried - and failed - repeatedly to knock Juventus off their perch as Italy's best side. And their forays into the world of European football - an arena that they have been absent in for a few seasons - have been equally as disappointing.
Last weekend gifted them the chance to be kings of Italy - albeit for just 24 hours - had they been able to defeat Bologna, who have not had the best season so far. But unfortunately, they had to settle for a draw with the Rossoblu and so headed into their Champions League tie not exactly brimming with confidence.
In their last meeting, Roma had surprised and impressed fans and neutrals alike by holding reigning Champions League winners Barcelona to a one-all draw at the Stadio Olimpico. However, a lot changed since then. As Barcelona appeared to go from strength to strength in Europe's premier competition, Roma appeared to suffer slip-up after slip-up and threw away vital points by somehow losing to Belarusian outfit BATE. Against Bayer Leverkusen, a strong side with whom they were always expected to duke it out for the second qualifying spot, they let a two goal lead slip in the span of a few minutes to settle for one point.
In any case, the 6-1 mauling they received at Camp Nou was not surprising; after all, Barcelona have been simply unstoppable over the past months and were coming into the game after a well-deserved 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season. In any case, they will now have to turn their attention back to domestic affairs and hope to close the gap on Inter, who now sit alone in top spot with 30 points. And although Juventus sit six points behind Roma's 27, the Lupi surely will be looking over their shoulders at the Bianconeri, who have been slowly inching their way back up the table after a terrible start to the seasons.
Despite missing key attackers Francesco Totti, Gervinho, and Mohamed Salah, fans will expect nothing less than all three points against Atalanta. It would be a perfect way to put a bad week behind them and with Inter taking on Napoli on Monday, a good opportunity to put themselves firmly back into the Scudetto race. Moreover, Atalanta have been quite poor as of late. Not only will La Dea be coming into this match having lost to 1-0 to Torino in the last round, but they are winless in their last three games and have just one victory out of their past five matches.
However, they will want to be wary of them as in past seasons, Atalanta have shown that they still can frustrate sides by holding out for a scoreless draw or even pulling off a smash-and-grab win. And curiously, despite Roma sitting in fourth and they in tenth, they both have conceded the same number of goals so far this season: 15. As such, Roma could be in for a tricky afternoon should they approach this game without 100 per cent drive and concentration.
Which channel is broadcasting Roma vs Atalanta on TV or Online?
If you are in Italy's famous capital and are a Giallorossi fan, perhaps you'll be heading to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon to view it live. For the rest of Serie A fans around the world, there are plenty of options to catch Roma vs. Atalanta on your TV, computer, phone, or tablet if you reside in other parts of Italy or the following countries:
- In the US at 9.00 EST on: RAI International, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A.
- In Italy at 15.00 CET on: Sky Calcio 1, Premium Calcio, SKY Go Italia
- In the UK at 14.00 GMT on: ESPN UK / HD
- In Canada at 9.00 EST on: RAI International, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
If you live elsewhere, simply check our special Roma vs. Atalanta broadcast page for viewing options and times for your specific location.
*Note: Live broadcast listings are subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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