VERONA: Serie A’s leading scorer Mateo Retegui netted as Atalanta beat Parma 3-1 on Saturday to provisionally go top of Serie A on goal difference, overtaking Inter Milan despite the reigning champions’ 5-0 rout of Hellas Verona.

Retegui claimed his 12th league goal of the campaign after just four minutes for the visitors before Ederson and Ademola Lookman scored to send Atalanta above Inter, who hammered Verona earlier.

Juventus meanwhile failed to impress in a goalless stalemate with AC Milan and are sixth, one place above their opponents.

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his team were developing a winning mentality.

“We have to focus on winning every game we can and the rest is not really in our minds,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“That was the case in the Europa League too, we didn’t start out thinking we’d win it, but as time wore on and we found ourselves in that position, we weren’t going to hold back either.”

Argentina-born Italy striker Retegui, 25, opened the scoring early on with a deft header.

The reigning Europa League champions doubled their lead after 39 minutes as Brazil midfielder Ederson scored his second goal of the season.

But five minutes into the second half, the hosts cut the deficit as Matteo Cancellieri fired home.

Retegui was replaced by attacking midfielder Charles De Ketelaere as Gasperini rested the attacker before Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Swiss side Young Boys.

Parma’s hopes of denying Atalanta a seventh straight league win were dashed with a quarter of an hour to play as Nigerian international Lookman finally scored, netting for a seventh time this campaign to ensure his side take top spot in the table.

Earlier, Inter scored five goals in the first half as forward Joaquin Correa opened the scoring after 17 minutes, before Marcus Thuram added a quick-fire double and Stefan de Vrij and Yann Bisseck also found the net.

“We managed to win a very important match,” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi told DAZN.

Verona have lost nine of their 13 league matches this season and sit 14th on 12 points, just three points above the relegation zone.

Inter now host RB Leipzig on Tuesday as they push for direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Lautaro Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco and Benjamin Pavard missed Saturday’s match after a busy period on international duty.

Juventus trail Inter and Atalanta by three points after offering little to shout about against AC Milan at the San Siro.

Ravaged by injuries, including to starting centre forward Dusan Vlahovic, coach Thiago Motta was forced into an experimental line-up featuring midfielder Teun Koopmeiners up front.

“I’m pleased with our performance, especially defensively against a team which created very little,” Motta told DAZN.

“All in all we played well, I think a point right now keeps us going. I’m happy to see that we’re well-organised and are capable of playing like a big team should.”

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024