Atalanta BC on Sunday surged back to the top of the Serie A standings with a Charles de Ketelaere-inspired 3-2 win at home to Empoli on Sunday, while inconsistent AS Roma thrashed Parma 5-0.
De Ketelaere scored twice for Atalanta in the topsy-turvy encounter; his second goal scored the winner with just 4 minutes left.
Ademola Lookman also scored and ensured Gian Piero Gasperini’s side won their 11th straight league game and catapulted SSC Napoli into top spot for the Christmas season.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“It’s been a glorious year, we’re sorry it’s coming to an end, let’s hope 2025 is just as good,” Gasperini told DAZN. “It may not be easy, but beyond the results, I am very satisfied with the state of the brain in this team. “
The reigning UEFA Europa League champions restored their two-point buffer over Napoli, who had moved a point ahead of them following their 2-1 win at Genoa on Saturday.
Lorenzo Colombo gave 11th-placed Empoli the lead at the Gewiss Stadium on 13 minutes.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Things got worse for Atalanta when Mateo Retegui, the league’s top scorer, had to leave the field due to a muscle injury in the 21st minute, but De Ketelaere tied the score for the Bergamo team 4 minutes after the half hour .
Lookman, the recent African Player of the Year, scored his 12th goal of the season in all competitions to give Atalanta the lead in first-half stoppage time.
Sebastiano Esposito stopped Atalanta in the 57th minute, from the penalty spot.
With the game headed for a disappointing draw that would have still returned Atalanta to the biggest goal difference, Belgium midfielder De Ketelaere made an impression with his fifth league goal of the season in the 86th minute.
The 23-year-old showed skill and composure to glide around the edge of the area until an opportunity presented itself, then fired a disguised left-footed shot past the goalkeeper.
“Today we suffered a bit, but after the goals we reacted and tried to win,” said De Ketelaere. “It’s December and it’s not over yet, we’re satisfied where we are, but each and every game is tough and keep going. “
Roma bounced back from last weekend’s wonderful 2-0 defeat in Como, which had left Claudio Ranieri’s side two points clear of the relegation zone, to beat Parma in the Italian capital.
Paulo Dybala scored twice, with goals from Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes and Artem Dovbyk as Roma moved into the top spot.
“The most important thing is the points. We had to show that the team realized the opposite of Como, not the genuine Roma, we had to do more,” Saelemaekers told DAZN.
Parma, one point above the relegation zone, in 16th place.
Dybala converted a penalty and Saelemaekers slammed home a volley to give the hosts a 2-0 lead inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour.
The Argentine scored his second goal six minutes after the break. Then, Paredes scored in the 74th minute and Ukrainian striker Dovbyk put the icing on the cake for the Romans with seven minutes to go.
Venezia fell from bottom of the table with an important 2-1 home win over compatriots Cagliari.
The result leaves Cagliari in 18th place with 14 points, one ahead of Venezia, and AC Monza reinforces the classification with 10 points after a home defeat against Juventus.
Juventus maintained their undefeated standing in Serie A by beating the trailing team 2-1 thanks to the moves of Weston McKennie and Nicolás González in the first half.
The Old Lady remain sixth on 31 points as they won for the first time in the league since early last month following four consecutive draws.