Atalanta romp past Frosinone to move into Serie A's top five
It’s been a happy start to 2024 for Atalanta, whose quest to finish inside the European spots this season got off to the best of starts in Bergamo, with La Dea racing to a three-goal lead inside 15 minutes.
The goalscoring frenzy started in the eighth minute of the contest, when Mateus Lusuardi fouled Emil Holm inside the penalty area, leaving Alessandro Prontera no choice but to point to the spot.
Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from 12 yards, Teun Koopmeiners converted the penalty with ease, giving the home side an early advantage.
Those inside Gewiss Stadium would be forced to wait just five minutes for the next goal, with Ederson doubling Atalanta’s lead, having been left unmarked in the penalty box to tap home from six yards out.
It was turning out to be one of those matches for Atalanta, whose third arrived in stylish fashion, when Charles De Ketelaere burst beyond the Frosinone backline, before rifling a strike off the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Given the advantage they’d mustered up in the first half, there was no surprise to see Atalanta take their foot off the gas somewhat in the second period.
That didn’t stop Gasperini from adding more firepower to his attack though, with substitute Luis Muriel sent on in search for a fourth. It almost arrived midway through the second half, when the Colombian striker flashed a shot just wide of the Frosinone goal, with goalkeeper Stefano Turati left scrambling to cover the effort.
The well-deserved fourth would arrive late on in the day, with yet more lax defending from the visitors presenting Davide Zappacosta with acres of space inside the 12-yard box.
Picking out his spot in the far-right corner, the ex-Chelsea man curled a wonderful right-footed shot beyond Turati. All before Holm bundled home a fifth in added time, giving the hosts a scoreline that reflected their dominance
Frosinone remain entrenched in a cutthroat relegation battle at the bottom of the Serie A table, with the Canaries now just two points above the bottom three.
At the opposite end of the table, things are looking up for Atalanta, who cut the gap to fourth-placed Fiorentina to one point, with Champions League qualification potentially creeping onto their agenda for 2024.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)
