Mario Pasalic scored the winner seconds after coming off the bench as Atalanta came from behind to beat Roma 2-1 and consolidate fourth place in Serie A on Saturday at the expense of their Champions League rivals from the capital.

The Croatia midfielder came on just before the hour mark in Bergamo to fire in the crucial goal 19 seconds later, to boost confidence ahead of his side's first-ever Champions League last 16 game against Valencia at the San Siro next week.

Josip Ilicic had threatened after half an hour for the hosts, firing wide, with a Rafael Toloi overhead kick off target minutes later. But it was Roma who broke through first with Edin Dzeko pouncing on a defending blunder from Jose Luis Palomino. Dzeko dispossessed the centre-back to rifle in past a helpless Pierluigi Golini in the Atalanta goal.

Palomino made up for his earlier error just after the break volleying in the equaliser in an action started off a Papu Gomez corner. On-loan Chelsea playmaker Pasalic came on for Duvan Zapata after 59 minutes and curled in to seal the three points.

The win means that Atalanta pulls six points ahead of fifth-placed Roma, who fell to their third consecutive defeat for the first time this season.