De Ketelaere: ‘Sign of a great Atalanta team’ | OneFootball

Charles De Ketelaere feels ‘good both physically and mentally’ after his brace for an 11th consecutive Atalanta victory.

They rarely make it easy, but La Dea thrilled their supporters with a dramatic 3-2 victory at the Gewiss Stadium this evening.

Lorenzo Colombo had made the most of a throw-in to put Empoli in front, then Ademola Lookman and the diving De Ketelaere header turned it around.

When Sebastiano Esposito converted a controversial penalty awarded via long VAR review, it looked as if their winning streak would be ended, but De Ketelaere went on a solo slalom to snatch the 86th-minute decider.

De Ketelaere revitalised by Atalanta

epa11790406 Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere celebrates with teammates after scoring the 3-2 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Atalanta BC vs Empoli FC, in Bergamo, Italy, 22 December 2024. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

“It was a complicated game against a very good team like Empoli and it is never easy to play against them,” De Ketelaere told DAZN.

“We suffered a bit too much today, but we reacted every time to a setback, immediately trying to get a goal and take control of the match. That is the sign of a great team.”

Having been a flop at Milan, De Ketelaere has gone from strength to strength with Atalanta, as so far this season he has 10 goals and nine assists in 24 competitive matches.

“I feel good, both physically and mentally. I think that we can still do better as a team and I am happy to have contributed to the victory with these goals.”

This was the 11th consecutive Serie A victory for Atalanta and it means they can celebrate Christmas 2024 as the sole leaders at the top of the table.

“Every game is difficult, but we always go for the victory. We’re happy with our current position, but we know that there is a long way to go and we work to keep improving every day,” continued De Ketelaere.

“We’re not even midway through the season yet. We have to treat every match like a battle and try to win.”