Roma had the better of the opening exchanges with Gianluca Mancini heading against the crossbar early on, before Abraham calmly slotted home his 13th Serie A goal of the season in the 32nd minute.

The visitors never really looked like getting back into the contest, with Roma holding on for second successive 1-0 win given to them by an Abraham goal, as coach Jose Mourinho served the final game of his two-match touchline ban.

Atalanta’s miserable afternoon was made complete as Marten de Roon was sent off in stoppage time after receiving two bookings in quick succession for vigorously protesting against a Roma freekick.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was then also sent off for Roma, but by then the game was won.

The result meant Mourinho’s sixth-placed side moved level on 47 points with Atalanta in fifth. Both teams are three points behind Juventus ahead of their match against Spezia on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Udinese pulled clear of the relegation zone after they beat Sampdoria 2-1 in a match where all the goals were scored inside the first 13 minutes.