The Albany Gazette - Lazio and Roma share derby spoils as Atalanta relaunch Champions League bid

Matias Soule earned Roma a point with a sensational first time strike in the 69th minute at a packed and loud Stadio Olimpico which saw Lazio fail to capitalise on their dominance.

Marco Baroni's side stay sixth, three points behind fourth-placed Juventus in a tight battle for a top-four finish which could well go down to the final day of the season.

The derby draw and Fiorentina only managing a goalless stalemate with Parma made it a perfect day for third-placed Atalanta who beat rivals Bologna 2-0 in the day's early fixture.

Lazio looked set to secure local bragging rights and close in on the top four when lifelong fan Alessio Romagnoli thumped home a perfect header two minutes after half-time.

They had created the majority of chances up to that point and were only denied taking the lead early by some spectacular goalkeeping from Mile Svilar.

But Soule punished nominal hosts Lazio when he strode onto Alexis Saelemaekers' pass and from way outside the penalty area let rip with a curling strike which snuck behind the line via the crossbar.

Argentinian Soule's fourth goal of the season saved Roma's blushes but ended coach Claudio Ranieri's perfect Rome derby record as coach and left his team five points behind Juve.

It is to Ranieri's credit however that Roma are only two points away from Lazio as that gap was 15 when he took charge for the third time in his long managerial career back in November.

Ranieri will retire for the second time at the end of this season before taking up what sporting director Florent Ghisolfi called a "sporting consultant" role with the club.

- Atalanta bounce back -

Atalanta are four points above fifth-placed Bologna thanks to a third-minute tap-in from Mateo Retegui and Mario Pasalic's first league goal since November not long afterwards.

Retegui's early strike was his 26th goal of the season in all competitions for Atalanta, and the Italy forward also set up Pasalic to guide home a delicate volley with his brilliant cross in the 21st minute.

Those goals ended a three-match losing run without scoring for Atalanta and were their first in a home league fixture since the start of February.

"I'm happy because it had been a few months that we'd not won here, we need to make our home matches count in the final weeks of the season," said Pasalic.

"Scoring straight away really helped us because it gives you more freedom to play."

Atalanta came into Sunday's key clash without a Serie A win in Bergamo since before Christmas but they stopped the home rot with a mature performance at the Gewiss Stadium.

Bologna looked to have the initiative in a tight fight for two Champions League spots, with Inter and Napoli contesting the league title and almost guaranteed of qualification.

Vincenzo Italiano's team had won five of their previous six matches and were unlucky to only draw with second-placed Napoli last weekend.

The only negative note for Gian Piero Gasperini was seeing defender Sead Kolasinac being stretchered off with a knee injury just before half-time, the latest in a long line of physical problems for both the Bosnian and Atalanta this term.

(T.Brown--TAG)