BERGAMO, Italy :Atalanta’s two-goal Charles De Ketelaere was the hero after scoring a late winner to secure a 3-2 victory over mid-table Empoli and send his side back to the top of Serie A on Sunday.
The Belgian weaved his way to the edge of the box four minutes from time, skilfully holding off defenders before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner to earn the points.
Atalanta now lead the table on 40 points, two ahead of Napoli, who won 2-1 at Genoa on Saturday, and four in front of Inter Milan, who have two games in hand, and Lazio.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta side look unstoppable. With 11 Serie A wins in a row, and 13 in total, they have the most in the big five European leagues this season.
“We came back against a team that played well,” Gasperini told Sky Italia. “The two goals conceded were due to a lapse in concentration and a penalty given by VAR. Winning it (the match) was a great achievement.”
The Atalanta coach was also full of praise for 23-year-old De Ketelaere, saying: “He gained confidence and improved his heading ability, as he showed today. The second goal is truly extraordinary, coming from a wide position.”
Lorenzo Colombo stunned the hosts after 13 minutes, giving Empoli the lead with a volley, capitalising on Liam Henderson’s cross from the byline that took Atalanta’s defence by surprise.
