On the back of collecting their highest-ever points tally (24) at this stage of a SA campaign, Atalanta began assertively, as Guglielmo Vicario had to be on his toes to prevent joint La Dea’s topscorer Ademola Lookman from breaking the deadlock. In response, Mattia Destro witnessed his ambitious chip come down on the top of the net, but Atalanta should have been ahead shortly after the quarter-hour mark, only for Vicario to thwart Éderson from close-range.
Atalanta’s threat eventually paid dividends in the 32nd minute, when Hans Hateboer netted for the first time in over two years, after Empoli had failed to pick up the Dutch international’s presence at the back post. Gian Piero Gasperini's side then had a golden chance to go 2-0 up just 10 minutes later when Destro handled in the area. However, Empoli were handed a reprieve, as Vicario’s trailing leg denied Teun Koopmeiners from 12 yards for a fifth penalty save in 2022.
On course to temporarily catapult themselves into second position, Atalanta flew out of the tunnel for the beginning of the second half as Vicario was called into action again, blocking Rasmus Højlund’s close-range strike. However, La Dea did not have to wait long for a decisive second goal, as Lookman found the back of the net on the stroke of the hour-mark, with a stellar solo strike for his fourth goal in his last five matches.
With three points on the horizon, Gasperini continued Duván Zapata’s return from a six-match hiatus, courtesy of a problematic hamstring injury, giving the Colombian international the best part of 25 minutes to try and open his goalscoring account for the current campaign. Indeed, the Atalanta striker found the back of the net five minutes after entering the fray, but had his celebrations cut short after being ruled out offside.
Atalanta remained relatively untroubled in the concluding stages, as Gasperini's side continued to showcase themselves as realistic contenders for a first-ever Scudetto title. In contrast, Empoli remain three points off the top half of the SA standings following back-to-back defeats.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC)
