Atalanta continues to make history and dreams of the ‘scudetto’. With their long-suffering victory today against Empoli (3-2), La Dea have now made it eleven in a row and are once again the leaders of Serie A with two points ahead of a Napoli team who have slept at the top after defeating Genoa on Saturday (1-2).
As expected, Atalanta started looking for the goal from the first minute and had two chances, but their defense made a serious mistake with a throw-in that left them 0-1 before the quarter-hour mark.
Defensive mistakes and Empoli advance
Liam Henderson He took advantage of Dea’s lack of concentration, received alone, reached the baseline and his back pass ended up in the net. Lorenzo Colombo.
Not long after, Atalanta suffered another blow when Mateo Retegui, top scorer in Serie A, He had to retire with muscle weakness.
De Ketelaere and air power
But the team Gian Piero Gasperini succeeded and returned before the break thanks to the power in the aerial game shown this season and the inspiration of Charles De Ketelaere, their fittest player this season and scorer of two goals.
Atalanta warned with a free kick which the Belgian central defender took Sead Kolasinac He finished with a header and the ball, after being deflected by the goalkeeper Davis Vasquez With a great stretch, he hit the post.
Empoli seemed to take the measure of the local attack but that was when De Ketelaere He was surprised to finish a cross from Davide Zappacosta and tie the game (34′).
Another post and Lookman made it 2-1
With the score 1-1, Dea returned to the match and performed again the magical centers of De Ketelaere to rotate the score. In one of them again the wood got in the way Djmsiti’s headshot will reach the network.
But in added time, after another aerial ball from Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman the service is accepted on the spot Nicolò Zaniolo and the new African Ballon d’Or defined.
VAR penalty at 2-2
After the break, Atalanta came out ready to put the game away. Lookman and Ederson They had chances to make it, but, as in the first half, Empoli scored again.
This time, it was a penalty, ordered by the referee at the request of the VAR through Djimsiti’s interaction with guest Alberto Grassi the place and changed by Sebastiano Esposito (58′).
De Ketelaere let loose with euphoria
Atalanta charged the blow, seemingly stalling as a tired Lookman retired and left without another attacking reference, Empoli became comfortable, but when From Ketelaere Everything is possible in the countryside.
And the Belgian showed that nothing beats this Atalanta with heart and fight. He received it in the area, looked for space, advanced with the ball attached to his boot until he found it in the middle of the jungle of legs to unleash a low shot that sent euphoria into the stands.
Suffering but the fans continue to dream of the ‘scudetto’ after the last game of the year at the Gewiss Stadium. On December 28 there is a visit to Lazio to close 2024.
match lineup
29
16
77
23
19
3
8
13
32
17
11
23
11
3
13
34
2
8
5
99
29
6
Gewiss Stadium
Davis Vasquez23
79′
Emmanuel Gyasi11
69′
Giuseppe Pezzella3
63′
Liberato Cacace13
69′
Ardian Ismajli34
Saba Goglichidze2
79′
Tino Anjorin8
Alberto Grassi5
69′
20′
Sebastian Esposito99
56′
70′
33′
85′
Lorenzo Colombo29
12′
45′
69′
Liam Henderson6
83′
Replacements
Samuel Persian1
Jacopo Seghetti12
Junior Zambia7
83′
69′
Lorenzo Tosto31
Luca Marianucci35
79′
Jacopo Fazzini10
70′
79′
Noah Houssain El Biache38
69′
Youssef Maleh93
69′
69′
Emmanuel Ekong19
Ismael Konaté90
20′
21′
coach
Gian Piero Gasperini
Roberto D’Aversa
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
