Even when he doesn't shine, even when he doesn't seem as implacable as usual, even when he concedes something in defense. Atalanta wins even if it's not in the evening. And this can mean a lot. Gasperini enjoyed his eleventh consecutive victory thanks to De Ketelaere, who invented the play to make it 3-2 in the 86th minute after a difficult match. First the advantage of Colombo's Empoli, then the equalizer by CDK, with a diving header. Lookman's scratch for the 2-1, Esposito's penalty for the 2-2. But then De Ketelaere invents a spell. And Gasp wins again, wishing all the Orobic fans a merry Christmas at the top.
Atalanta is sleeping, Colombo takes advantage. And Retegui stops
Gasperini, from the first moments, is not happy with his Atalanta. And in fact after just over ten minutes Empoli took advantage of a defensive sleep by the Dea, who lost Henderson on a lateral foul. All alone the blue midfielder can look to the center and support Colombo: winning deviation from the Milan school boy and 0-1 at the Gewiss Stadium. In the 20th minute there was more bad news for Gasperini: in addition to not being the usual Atalanta, the team also lost Retegui due to a thigh muscle problem: Zaniolo came in his place.
Not the usual Goddess, but here's the thing
So far a bad Atalanta, but more than ten minutes from the break the equalizer came against Empoli: Charles De Ketelaere scored. In the most complicated moment, here is the shock that puts Gasperini's team back in the game. Cross from Zappacosta, dirty work from Zaniolo in capturing the defense's attention and a diving header from the attacking midfielder who scores the 1-1. Another former Milan player scores. And as the minutes pass, the Goddess returns to resemble her everyday one, faster and more dangerous than the one seen in the first half hour. On a dead ball Djimsiti hits the post, a little later another thrill for Vasquez.
The scratch of a dull Lookman
As soon as injury time begins, Ademola Lookman decides to enter the match and overturns the result. With his goal number nine, so far, for the fresh African Ballon d'Or: cross to the center, Zaniolo's block, control and winning right-footed shot from the Nigerian for the 2-1. In a complicated first half of the game, in which Lookman himself had been among the worst, here is his scratch: in the 45th minute Atalanta are ahead.
Esposito penalty, but De Ketelaere sends Bergamo into raptures
As expected, there was no shortage of emotions in the second half too. Because at the beginning Atalanta finally seemed to take control of the match, but then a contact between Djimsiti and Grassi earned the penalty (after a very long check and the on-field review): Esposito was very cold and made it 2-2 . Then the Goddess becomes opaque again, even a little unbalanced. It takes a play to shake things up. Samardzic tries, coming in for Lookman, but nothing. De Ketelaere, who was preferred to the Nigerian at the time of the substitution, did: a spell from the former Milan player, from outside the area after a double dribble, made it 3-2 which sent the Gewiss Stadium into raptures. And the three points mean one important thing: another week at the top.
