**72nd Minute

Post-Substitution**

The substitution was confirmed and Demien jogged onto the pitch while De Roon moved toward the touchline, and the Olimpico's noise shifted slightly as some supporters recognized the young midfielder entering the match while others focused on the scoreline still showing Roma's comfortable advantage.

In the commentary booth, both voices picked up the moment immediately.

"And here comes Demien Walter for his first competitive senior minutes since that hamstring injury at Spezia in early November," the lead commentator said, and his tone carried genuine curiosity rather than manufactured hype. "Three months out of the game—this is his first real test back at this level of football."

"We saw him play fifteen minutes for the U21s last weekend," his colleague added, "but this is entirely different. Roma away, three-one down, Coppa Italia quarterfinal. The quality is remembered from his performances earlier in the season, but whether that form has survived the injury layoff remains to be confirmed tonight."

Demien took his position in the advanced midfield role behind Højlund while Koopmeiners dropped deeper alongside Éderson to form the double pivot, and the tactical shift was clear—Atalanta's 4-4-2 had become a 4-2-3-1 with more attacking intent concentrated through the center.

The referee restarted play with a Roma throw-in deep on Atalanta's right side, and Roma's players immediately looked to slow the tempo by recycling possession toward their winger who had space on the touchline.

The ball reached the winger and he attempted to drive forward with his first touch, but Atalanta's right-back had read the movement and stepped in aggressively with his challenge timed perfectly, and the contact forced the winger to lose control while the ball spilled loose toward the touchline.

The Olimpico crowd reacted sharply with groans at the turnover, and Atalanta's right-back didn't hesitate—instead of clearing the ball blindly upfield he moved it inside with his first touch to the nearest center-back who had dropped to offer support.

The center-back took one touch to control before lifting his head to scan options, and his pass came inside to Atalanta's central midfielder who collected the ball in stride before immediately accelerating forward while drawing pressure from two Roma players.

Rather than forcing a pass into congested space the midfielder angled the ball wide into open territory on the left where Lookman was already moving to receive, and the weight was perfect because Lookman collected it without breaking stride.

Lookman drove at his marker with pace and pushed Roma's defensive line deeper through direct running, and a defender closed him down quickly while cutting off the angle toward goal, so Lookman checked back with his first touch before glancing inside to scan for options.

Demien had positioned himself just outside the penalty area hovering between Roma's midfield and defensive lines, and he was completely unmarked because Roma's attention had been drawn toward Lookman's movement on the flank.

Lookman's pass rolled into Demien's feet with perfect weight.

Johan Cruyff's Turn Innovator technique activated instinctively as Demien received the ball—his body already positioned at an angle that allowed him to take it on the half-turn in one motion rather than needing a settling touch—and the Cruyff Turn itself came immediately.

He dragged the ball behind his standing leg with the inside of his right foot while pivoting sharply on his left, and his body orientation created immediate separation from Cristante who had stepped up aggressively to close him down but was left completely flatfooted by the deceptive movement.

The turn generated three yards of space in one motion—exactly the gap Cruyff's technique was designed to create when receiving between the lines—and Demien's 91 Agility kept him perfectly balanced through the sharp directional change while his 83 Ball Control ensured the ball stayed glued to his foot despite the complexity of the movement.

Cristante lunged desperately trying to recover but the turn had beaten him completely, and suddenly Demien was facing goal with space to shoot and defenders closing from both sides.

Roberto Baggio's Divine Ponytail legendary skill guided what happened next—that unique blend of creative composure and clinical finishing that made Baggio so deadly in the final third—and Demien's mind processed the goalkeeper's positioning and the defensive coverage with perfect clarity despite the pressure.

His Long Shot Taker trait activated immediately, and the confidence to shoot from outside the box came naturally rather than forcing a pass into congested space, and his 89 Composure kept his technique perfect despite two Roma defenders closing from different angles.

He shifted the ball out of his feet with his right foot creating just enough space—a subtle Heel-to-Heel Flick that opened the shooting angle by half a yard—and his strike came with the calm precision that defined Baggio's finishing rather than rushed power.

The shot was driven with perfect technique toward the far post where the goalkeeper's positioning left a gap, and the ball bent significantly away from the keeper's dive as Demien's 84 Curve attribute shaped the trajectory, and it crashed into the side netting while the goalkeeper's outstretched hand passed a foot away from contact.

**ROMA 3-2 ATALANTA**

For a split second the stadium froze—seventy thousand Roma supporters processing what had just happened—and then noise erupted from Atalanta's small away section while the rest of the Olimpico fell into shocked silence mixed with scattered applause from Roma fans who recognized the quality despite their disappointment.

Demien didn't celebrate wildly or run toward the corner flag, and instead he sprinted straight into the goal and scooped the ball out of the net with both hands before turning and running back toward the center circle while shouting for urgency.

"Let's go! Come on!" he called out in English while his teammates chased after him, and Koopmeiners slapped his back hard while shouting "That turn! Fucking hell, that was Cruyff!" and Lookman grabbed his shoulder while grinning widely, and several players were shouting similar encouragement because eighteen minutes remained and one more goal would level the match.

On the Roma side, Cristante stood with hands on hips staring at the space where Demien had turned him, and he shook his head once in frustration while muttering something to himself, and his defensive partner gestured at him asking why he'd been so easily beaten by a turn everyone knew was coming.

Gasperini's reaction on the touchline was animated—he pumped his fist twice and clapped loudly while shouting "Bene! Bene! Cruyff! Cruyff!" before immediately turning to his assistant coach and pointing at the pitch while discussing tactical adjustments, and his face showed satisfaction mixed with tactical focus because one goal wasn't enough.

"What a moment!" the lead commentator's voice rose significantly. "Demien Walter announces his return in the most emphatic way possible—that Cruyff turn left Cristante completely beaten and the finish had all the composure of Baggio in his prime!"

"Look at the technique," his colleague added while replays showed the goal from multiple angles. "The turn is devastating—one touch and he's created three yards of space—and then the calmness to place it rather than blast it. That's world-class execution from an eighteen-year-old who hasn't played competitive football in three months. The Long Shot Taker trait was evident there—complete confidence from outside the box."

The replays showed the sequence clearly—Lookman's drive creating space, the pass into Demien's feet, the Cruyff turn sending Cristante the wrong direction, the composed finish bending away from the goalkeeper's dive with perfect curve.

Roma's supporters in the curva had fallen quiet except for isolated pockets still trying to generate noise, while Atalanta's traveling section was bouncing continuously and chanting Demien's name in rhythmic unison—"WAL-TER! WAL-TER! WAL-TER!"—and the sound carried across the Olimpico despite their small numbers.

Play resumed at the center circle and Roma tried to settle into possession, but their confidence had been shaken and Atalanta's pressing became more aggressive while sensing vulnerability.

**75' — 80'

Atalanta Pressure**

The next five minutes passed with Atalanta controlling territory and forcing Roma deeper into their own half, and the pattern was clear—quick ball circulation looking for gaps in Roma's defensive organization while the home side defended with numbers behind the ball.

Demien operated in the pockets of space between Roma's lines and his movement created problems because defenders couldn't decide whether to step up and press him or hold their positions, and twice he received between the lines and turned to face goal before defenders closed him down.

Roma's supporters were urging their team to push out and relieve the pressure, but every time they won possession Atalanta's press forced turnovers before Roma could build attacks effectively.

**83'

Roma Counter-Attack**

Roma finally found space for a counter-attack in the eighty-third minute when they won the ball in midfield and immediately played a long pass forward into their striker's run, and suddenly three Roma attackers were sprinting toward Atalanta's defensive third with only two defenders back.

The striker received the ball in stride and drove toward goal while Atalanta's center-backs scrambled to recover, and he played a quick pass wide to his teammate who had overlapped on the right side.

The Roma winger took one touch to steady himself before shooting from eighteen yards, but the attempt was rushed because Atalanta's recovering defender had closed the angle, and the ball sailed high over the crossbar and into the crowd behind the goal.

Roma supporters groaned at the missed opportunity while Atalanta's goalkeeper retrieved a new ball for the goal kick, and the moment passed without Roma capitalizing on what might have been their best chance to restore the two-goal advantage.

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