Empoli 0-5 Atalanta: Lookman responds to Gasperini criticism with double in emphatic win

Ademola Lookman scored twice in response to Gian Piero Gasperini’s criticism as Atalanta cruised to a 5-0 win at relegation-threatened Empoli to reignite the Serie A title race.

A month ago the battle for the Scudetto looked like becoming a two-horse race between Napoli and Inter, but indifferent results for both sides have allowed Atalanta to narrow the gap.

Sunday’s away win moved Atalanta to 54 points, three behind leaders Inter and two off Napoli with 12 matches remaining.

Emmanuel Gyasi’s 27th-minute own goal set the tone after Davide Zappacosta delivered a cross from the edge of the box which deflected off the Empoli striker and looped into the corner of the net.

Mateo Retegui doubled the lead six minutes later before Lookman made it 3-0 in the 43rd minute when he latched onto a through ball, deftly rounded goalkeeper Marco Silvestri and put the ball into the empty net.

Lookman got his second shortly after the break, gliding onto a through ball from Marten de Roon after evading the offside trap and firing an angled shot past Silvestri following some neat footwork.

It marked a well-timed response from Lookman, whose boss Gasperini labelled him “one of the worst penalty-takers” after his miss in the midweek Champions League defeat to Club Brugge.

Zappacosta completed the rout in the 74th minute as the defeat left Empoli 18th on 21 points, two points adrift of safety.

Routine pic.twitter.com/O7gaK7b7fv

— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) February 23, 2025

Data Debrief: Rampant Retegui’s road run continues

Retegui has now scored seven goals across his last three away games, managing a brace against Como, four against Verona…

Indeed, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (16) has managed more league away goals across Europe’s top five competitions than Retegui’s 13 this term, with Atalanta benefitting from his eye-catching form on the road.

It was not just Retegui that ran riot here, however, with Atalanta recording their sixth straight Serie A win over Empoli, their worst current streak of defeats against any opponent in the competition.

The scoreline perhaps flattered the visitors, though, with Atalanta accumulating 2.42 expected goals to Empoli’s 1.06, with a superior quality of finishing adding gloss to an impressive result.