Charles De Ketelaere’s late heroics secured a dramatic 3-2 victory for Atalanta over Empoli, propelling Gian Piero Gasperini’s side back to the summit of Serie A. The Belgian midfielder’s second goal of the night, an 86th-minute stunner, capped off a thrilling encounter at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday.
Atalanta’s win restored their two-point lead over Napoli, who had briefly climbed to the top after a 2-1 victory against Genoa on Saturday.
Empoli took an early lead in the 13th minute through Lorenzo Colombo, silencing the home crowd. However, De Ketelaere leveled the score with a composed finish in the 34th minute. Recently crowned African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, continued his stellar season by putting Atalanta ahead in first-half stoppage time with his 12th goal across all competitions.
Empoli fought back in the second half, equalizing through Sebastiano Esposito’s penalty in the 57th minute. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, De Ketelaere delivered the decisive moment, gliding past defenders along the edge of the box before unleashing a left-footed strike that left the goalkeeper helpless.
The result solidifies Atalanta’s status as title contenders, with De Ketelaere and Lookman at the heart of their campaign.
Roma’s Resurgence
In the Italian capital, Roma bounced back from last week’s shock defeat to Como with a resounding 5-0 win over Parma. Paulo Dybala starred with a brace, while Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes, and Artem Dovbyk also found the net. The victory lifted Claudio Ranieri’s side to 10th place, easing their relegation fears.
Parma, meanwhile, remain perilously close to the drop zone in 16th place, just one point clear of safety.
Venezia Climb Off Bottom
Venezia secured a crucial 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Cagliari to move off the foot of the table. Goals from Francesco Zampano and Marin Sverko were enough to seal the win, despite Leonardo Pavoletti’s late strike for the visitors.
The result leaves Cagliari in 18th place with 14 points, just one ahead of Venezia, while Monza remain bottom on 10 points. Monza face Juventus later on Sunday, needing a shock victory to avoid staying rooted to the table.
With Atalanta’s victory and other key results, the Serie A title race and relegation battle continue to heat up as the season progresses.
