December 22, (THEWILL) – Atalanta moved into first position in Serie A following an exhilarating 3-2 victory against Empoli at the Gewiss Stadium, with Charles De Ketelaere delivering a match-winning performance and a goal from the returning Ademola Lookman adding flourish to the win.
De Ketelaere scored twice, including the decisive goal in the 86th minute, as the Belgian midfielder continued to maintain his outstanding form in the 2024/2025 campaign.
The match was a demonstration of significant momentum shifts, beginning with Lorenzo Colombo putting Empoli ahead after 13 minutes.
De Ketelaere equalised past the half-hour mark before Lookman, fresh from winning African Player of the Year, put Atalanta ahead during first-half stoppage time with his 12th goal across all competitions this season.
Sebastiano Esposito brought Empoli level through a penalty in the 57th minute, but De Ketelaere’s late intervention proved decisive.
The 23-year-old displayed remarkable skill, manoeuvring along the penalty area before dispatching a left-footed strike beyond the goalkeeper, marking his fifth Serie A goal this term.
The title race continues to intensify, with Atalanta establishing a two-point advantage over second-placed Napoli, who had temporarily claimed the top spot following their 2-1 success at Genoa on Saturday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
