Duvan Zapata’s hat-trick fired Atalanta to a huge 7-2 win over lowly Lecce to maintain their grip on the Champions League spots in a high-s...
Duvan Zapata’s hat-trick fired Atalanta to a huge 7-2 win over lowly Lecce to maintain their grip on the Champions League spots in a high-scoring Serie A weekend ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak.
Eleven days after they thrashed Valencia in their last match, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side showed why they are considered one of the most exciting teams in Europe with a breathtaking second-half display that blitzed their promoted opponents.
“Playing games like that boosts confidence. The match looked easy in the end, but it wasn’t for long periods,” said Gasperini, who poured cold water on talk of a league title charge next season.
“We lose a few too many matches. Our target has been around 70 points and for the ‘Scudetto’ you need closer to 90 ... The teams that win the league tend to be more consistent than us.”
Atalanta sit fourth, three points ahead of Roma following their thrilling 4-3 win at Cagliari and six behind third-placed Inter Milan, whose marquee clash with title rivals Juventus was one of five matches postponed this weekend due to the spread of COVID-19.
Despite only four matches being held of a potential nine so far, 21 goals have been scored, the majority on an entertaining Sunday shorn of the Juve-Inter...
