Francesco Totti came off the bench to hit a late, precious leveller

as Champions League-chasing Roma dropped two points in a thrilling 3-3

draw away to Atalanta on Sunday.

Roma travelled to Bergamo feeling the pressure after Inter Milan

stunned Napoli 2-0 on Saturday to close the gap on third place to three

points.

But despite taking a 2-0 lead by the 27th minute with goals from

Lucas Digne and Radja Nainggolan, Luciano Spalletti’s visitors let their

guard slip, allowing an enterprising Atalanta back into the game.

Marco D’Alessandro reduced arrears on 33 minutes and Roma reject

Marco Borriello returned to haunt his old club by hitting a brace that

gave Atalanta a 3-2 lead by the 57th minute.

Totti replaced Daniele De Rossi on 78 minutes and eight minutes later

the 39-year-old club icon slammed the ball through traffic and past

Marco Sportiello to secure a share of the spoils.

Although Roma remain in third place, 11 points behind Juventus ahead

of their home game against Palermo later Sunday and five points behind

Napoli, Inter are closing in.

With five games remaining, Roberto Mancini’s Inter side are only four

points behind Roma in fourth as they bid to end a five-year wait to

return to Europe’s premier club competition.

“At 2-0 up, we should have put the match beyond reach,” Roma coach Luciano Spalletti told Mediaset.

“But we lost focus at certain points, we took our foot off the pedal, lost our shape and allowed them back into it.

“When that happens, your opponents obviously want to capitalise and that’s what they did.”

It was a scrappy affair at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia stadium,

although French left-back Digne settled Roma nerves on 23 minutes when

he finished off a well-worked move to roll a right-footed shot past

Sportiello at his far post.

Roma looked to be cruising when Belgian international Nainggolan chipped Mohamed Salah’s cut-back past Sportiello on 27 minutes.

But Atalanta fought back valiantly, Alejandro Gomez sprinting down

the left to collect a long ball from midfield and fire in a cross for

D’Alessandro to bundle past Wojciech Szczesny on 33 minutes.

Roma’s defence really should have done better on that occasion, and

Szczesny had more reason to complain when Borriello rose above De Rossi

and Kostas Manolas at a corner to level with a powerful header four

minutes later.

Roma could have put the match beyond reach soon after, but Edin Dzeko

ballooned over from eight yards and minutes later the Bosnian’s crisp

volley was tipped over by Sportiello at full stretch.

At the other end, Roma’s defence was nowhere when Gomez fired in a

cross that Ervin Zukanovic should have easily swept to safety. Instead,

Borriello stole a march on the defender to bundle in at the near post.

It was the first time Atalanta had hit three goals at home since a

3-0 rout of Palermo in December, but more was to come from the hosts.

Borriello could have added to his ally but ballooned over from

Gomez’s delivery and then saw a backheel flick go over from close range.

Roma were only saved from a potentially costly defeat when, as the

ball ricocheted in the Atalanta area, Totti’s drive sneaked past

Sportiello and inside the ‘keeper’s near post in the closing minutes.

It was his 245th goal in Serie A but in what could be Totti’s 23rd

and final season with the club, he remains 29 behind the all-time record

of Silvio Piola (274).