Serie A | Atalanta 2-0 Empoli: Dea close on top 5 | OneFootball

Mario Pasalic and Ademola Lookman gave Atalanta the 2-0 victory over Empoli to close on the top five, despite squad rotation.

La Dea had to rotate the squad after the Coppa Italia semi-final win over Fiorentina, and building up to the first leg of the Europa League semi-final with Olympique Marseille. Emil Holm and Rafael Toloi were injured, while Empoli missed Etrit Berisha, Alberto Cerri, Ardian Ismajli and Tyronne Ebuehi after a shock win over Napoli.

M’Baye Niang drilled wide from a promising position in the opening minutes, but the visitors lost Sebastian Walukiewicz to a muscular injury.

Atalanta were awarded a penalty following a VAR On-Field Review, as Giuseppe Pezzella mistimed the challenge on El Bilal Toure and caught the striker on the back of the leg. Mario Pasalic converted, despite Elia Caprile getting a hand to it.

It should’ve been 2-0 in first half stoppages when Toure went on the counter, but insisted on cutting back to his right foot, crowded out only for the Aleksei Miranchuk weak finish to be straight at Caprile.

Atalanta did double their lead with a solo effort from Ademola Lookman, who gathered in midfield, turned Bartosz Bereszynski to sprint towards goal and drill into the near bottom corner.

Lookman almost got another, his little shimmy to wrongfoot defenders and the angled drive skimming the far post.

Aleksei Miranchuk also curled off target, while Razvan Marin and Cambiaghi did not trouble Marco Carnesecchi from distance.

Starting lineups

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

57'

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

4

Isak Hien

Defender

22

Matteo Ruggeri

Defender

57'

59

Aleksey Miranchuk

Midfielder

73'

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

57'

11

Ademola Lookman

Attacker

84'

10

El Bilal Touré

Attacker

25

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

19

Bartosz Bereszynski

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

4

Sebastian Walukiewicz

Defender

25'

33

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

5

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

61'

21

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

62'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

74'

11

Emmanuel Gyasi

Attacker

10

M’Baye Niang

Attacker

61'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

Substitutes

1

Juan Musso

Goalkeeper

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

90

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

20

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

25

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

43

Giovanni Bonfanti

Defender

53

Pietro Comi

Defender

33

Hans Hateboer

Defender

57'

13

Éderson

Midfielder

57'

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

57'

7

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

73'

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

84'

23

Mattia Destro

Attacker

27

Szymon Zurkowski

Midfielder

30

Simone Bastoni

Midfielder

1

Samuele Perisan

Goalkeeper

12

Jacopo Seghetti

Goalkeeper

7

Stiven Shpendi

Attacker

2

Saba Goglichidze

Defender

13

Liberato Cacace

Defender

25'

9

Francesco Caputo

Attacker

61'

18

Razvan Marin

Midfielder

61'

8

Viktor Kovalenko

Midfielder

62'

20

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

74'