De Ketelaere double puts Atalanta back on top
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice to earn Serie A leader Atalanta a huge 3-2 triumph over Empoli to move two points clear of Napoli at the top of the table.
De Ketelaere netted a dramatic 86th minute winner, earning Gian Piero Gasperini's side a 13th home win of the season, more than any team in Europe's top five leagues.
But Atalanta was behind early on when Lorenzo Colombo finished beyond Marco Carnesecchi, scoring his 10th away league goal in 2024.
However, parity was restored just past the half-hour mark when De Ketelaere headed home after being picked out by Davide Zappacosta's teasing delivery.
Atalanta then took the lead in first half stoppage-time when the recently crowned African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, coolly slotted in from close range.
But Empoli dragged itself level in the 57th minute courtesy of Sebastiano Esposito's penalty after Alberto Grassi was brought down inside the box by Berat Djimsiti.
With the game looking set to end level, De Ketelaere danced his way into the area before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner to earn his side the win.
"We came back against a team that played well," Gasperini said.
"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 match-winner 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."
Gasperini's side has been the standout performer in Serie A this term, with a maiden Scudetto title now very much a possibility.
Its impressive form has been built at Gewiss Stadium. Atalanta has now recorded its best tally of home wins in a single calendar year since 1929-1930 (19), while also achieving its highest goals tally (124) since that same campaign 95 years ago (126).
It has also won 11 games in a row for the first time in Serie A. The past two teams that won 11 consecutive games went on to win the competition – Napoli in 2022-2023 and Inter Milan in 2020-2021).
Atalanta'a success this season has been helped by its star frontline.
In Mateo Retegui (14), Lookman (12) and De Ketelaere (10), Atalanta is the only team with three players to have scored at least 10 goals this season in Europe's top five leagues.
