Storming the Bentegodi with a black-and-blue manita
A 5-0 away win with four goals from Retegui and one from Éderson
Hitting the ground running with a commanding 5-0 win at the Bentegodi Stadium, Atalanta vanquish hosting side Hellas Verona in the 2024/25 Serie A Enilive MD24 courtesy of a showstopping Retegui, Nerazzurro top-marksman of the game with a monster four-goal haul, and Éderson, chipping in with another, who helped the team hit the 50-point mark in the standings.
After a couple of warning shots from Atalanta and a stunning save by Rui Patrício on Daniliuc's header, the floodgates opened in the 21st minute: after storming down the left, De Ketelaere rattled the post with a right-footer, but Retegui was on hand to tap in the rebound. On 25 minutes came Retegui's second of the game: de Roon set up Djimisiti the assist-provider in disguise, who played a pinpoint ball to Retegui to finish with his left foot past Montipò. While Posch tested the gialloblù keeper in the 35th, Éderson struck two minutes later: after snatching the ball in midfield, the Carioca 13 coasted into the box and, after dribbling past his marker, slotted the ball into the far corner to make it 3-0. The fourth of the game came just before the break: de Roon scooped the free-kick in and, after Posch hit the post once again with the ball rebounding off a Verona defender, Retegui pounced to complete his hat-trick, helping the Nerazzurri to a 0-4 half-time lead.
In the second half Retegui dealt the "royal flush" to put the crowning jewel on a jaw-dropping choral move: after a give-and-go with Brescianini, captain de Roon rolled the ball across for Retegui, who volleyed the ball in to bag Atalanta's manita. In the 76th Rui Patricio kept a clean sheet with three brilliant saves, first denying Tcatchoua, then Mosquera, and finally Coppola. As the final whistle filled the Bentegodi stadium, the Nerazzurri returned to winning ways in style, imposing themselves 5-0 in Verona.
HELLAS VERONA 0-5 ATALANTA
Scorers: Retegui 21, 25, 44, 56 (A), Éderson 37 (A)
Hellas Verona: Montipò, Daniliuc (Valentini 70), Coppola, Ghilardi, Tchatchoua, Niasse, Bernede (Dawidowicz 63), Bradaric (Oyegoke 63), Suslov (Lambourde 79), Sarr (Kastanos 63). Mosquera. Unused Bench: Berardi, Perilli, Faraoni, Lazovic, Okou, Ajayi, Cisse. Coach: Paolo Zanetti.
Atalanta: Rui Patrício, Posch, Hien, Djimsiti (Toloi 59), Cuadrado, Éderson (Pašalić 59), de Roon (Sulemana 72), Zappacosta (Palestra 82), Samardžić, De Ketelaere (Brescianini 46), Retegui. Unused Bench: Rossi, Vismara, Bellanova, Ruggeri, Cassa, Vlahović, Obrić. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
Referee: Mr. Simone Sozza from Seregno;
Assistant referees: Matteo Passeri from Gubbio and Luca Mondin from Treviso;
Fourth official: Simone Galipò from Florence;
V.A.R.: Valerio Marini from Roma 1;
A.V.A.R.: Maurizio Mariani from Aprilia.
Notes: Niasse (HV), Ghilardi (HV) and Sulemana (A) booked.