5-0 to Sturm Graz and off to the next UCL round!

Thanks to their roaring success over Sturm Graz, Atalanta have punched their ticket to the next UEFA Champions League round by planting the black-and-blue flag in the League Phase "First-24" territory with one match to spare, thus further lionizing the evening marking President Antonio Percassi's 800th game at the helm of Atalanta with a win, namely the 350th triumph during the Percassi presidency. A 5-0 win in front of an ecstatic Gewiss Stadium crowd to climb up to 14 points after 7 UCL games.

After an early shivering as Camara missed the target from a good striking position, the Nerazzurri broke the deadlock in the following break on 12 minutes: upon nicking the ball from the edge of the box, Samardžić followed through to Zappacosta, who whipped the ball in the face of the goal for an on-rushing Retegui. It then fell to De Ketelaere, Zappacosta (twice) and Retegui to keep the visitors under the black-and-blue thumb in an attempt to double the Atalanta lead pronto but the scoreboard remained still until the halftime whistle.

While Kolašinac neared the goal right after the resumption but was denied by a great goalkeeping display from Scherpen, De Ketelaere hit the bullseye in the 50th yet had his goal disallowed following VAR review due to a previous offside in the build-up. Likewise, the flag went up 2 minutes later, when Cuadrado smacked the post. Yet the black-and-blue pressing raged on with Lookman, who threatened twice in close succession, before finding its vindication in the 58th minute, when Pašalić found the winning tap-in on Cuadrado's pinpoint cross. In the 63rd, De Ketelaere found the winning touch from a scuffle in the box following a corner-kick situation to tuck Atalanta's third of the night in. While Éderson, Lookman and Brescianini almost completed the haul with a chance each, Carnesecchi kept the scoreline down to 3-0 before Lookman completed (spear)headed the Nerazzurri to a 4-0 goleada on 90 minutes and Brescianini seal the black-and-blue goleada 4 minutes later.

ATALANTA 5-0 STURM GRAZ

Scorers: Retegui 12 (A), Pašalić 58 (A), De Ketelaere 63 (A), Lookman 90 (A), Brescianini 90+4 (A)

Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Toloi, Hien, Kolašinac (Djimsiti 71), Palestra (Cuadrado 46), Pašalić, de Roon (Éderson 64), Zappacosta, Samardžić (Brescianini 64), De Ketelaere, Retegui (Lookman 46). Unused bench: Rui Patrício, Rossi, Bellanova, Ruggeri, Scalvini, Vlahović. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.

Sturm Graz: Scherpen, Malic, Aiwu, Wuthrich, Lavalee, Chukwuani (Hierländer 79), Stankovic, Yalcouye (Zvonarek 70), Kiteishvili (Grgic 91), Boving (Horvat 70), Camara (Jatta 46). Unused bench: Bignetti, Khudiakov, Karic, Schopp, Geyrhofer, Hodl, Kiedl. Coach: Jurgen Saumel.

Referee: Donatas Rumšas (LTU);
Assistant referees: Aleksandr Radiuš (LTU) and Dovydas Sužiedėlis (LTU);
Fourth official: Robertas Šmitas (LTU);
V.A.R.: Tiago Martins (POR);
A.V.A.R.: Christian Dingert (GER).

Notes: Samardžić (A) booked.