epa11790331 Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere celebrates after scoring the 1-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Atalanta BC vs Empoli FC, in Bergamo, Italy, 22 December 2024. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
Charles De Ketelaere bagged a splendid brace to complete the comeback and give Atalanta their 11th consecutive Serie A victory, beating rugged Empoli 3-2 to spend Christmas as leaders.
La Dea were on a club record run and needed all three points to keep top spot after Napoli’s victory on Saturday, but Marten de Roon was suspended with Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca injured. The Tuscans had Mattia De Sciglio on a ban, plus Pietro Pellegri, Nicolas Haas, Saba Sazonov and Tyronne Ebuehi on long-term injury lay-offs, but Liam Henderson returned from suspension.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Empoli took a shock lead when taking advantage of the fact you cannot be offside from a throw-in, as Henderson got to the by-line and pulled back for Lorenzo Colombo to volley in with a deflection from eight yards.
There was another blow for the hosts who lost Mateo Retegui to a muscular injury after just 21 minutes, replaced by Nicolò Zaniolo, who was booked within 60 seconds for treading on Sebastiano Esposito’s foot.
Devis Vasquez made a desperate reaction save to claw Sead Kolasinac’s header out of the near top corner from a free kick situation, slapping it onto the upright.
Atalanta did equalise when Davide Zappacosta’s cross went over Zaniolo, but found Charles De Ketelaere for a diving header into the near bottom corner from 12 yards.
Berat Djimsiti also thumped the frame of the goal when his towering header from a De Ketelaere free kick bounced off the base of the far post.
They turned it around on the stroke of half-time, Zaniolo nodding down the De Ketelaere cross from the left for Lookman to take a touch and drill in from a tricky angle.
De Ketelaere’s cross-shot and an Ederson scorcher both skimmed the far post, but Empoli received a penalty following a VAR review for Djimsiti catching Alberto Grassi’s boot as he fell, converted with power by Esposito.
Atalanta were struggling to break Empoli down, but De Ketelaere picked it up down the right flank, cut inside to dribble past four and drill left-footed into the near bottom corner from just inside the penalty area for 3-2.
Atalanta 3-2 Empoli
Colombo 13 (E), De Ketelaere 34, 86 (A), Lookman 45 (A), Esposito pen 57 (E)
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