Entering the game on the back of consecutive league defeats for the first time this season, an out-of-form Atalanta side were handed a nightmare start against Verona. Coming through Darko Lazovic, the winger found the back of the net with just 11 minutes gone, striking into the bottom left-hand corner with an unstoppable effort after finding space inside the area.
In a back and fourth first half, however, just 11 minutes later, the hosts found themselves level through Davide Zappacosta, who did superbly to drive inside, before firing powerfully into the bottom right-hand corner of Lorenzo Montipo’s goal.
After cancelling out Verona’s initial opener, the hosts finally settled and stepped onto the front foot, allowing the game to fall into the sequence of defence vs attack that many predicted prior to kickoff. And, with that, the hosts should have taken the lead before the break, only for Rasmus Hojlund’s headed effort to find the outstretched palms of a diving Montipo.
Alas, it wasn’t long before Verona became the masters of their own downfall, as Montipo went from hero to zero, losing the ball inside his own area to leave Mario Pasalic to mercilessly tap home to give Atalanta a deserved lead in the 53rd-minute.
And if the game wasn’t out of reach before, Atalanta soon sealed all three points through Hojlund, who continues to impress potential on-watching suitors around Europe. The young forward netted his 15th goal of the season in all competitions, driving home just nine minutes after Pasali gave the hosts the lead.
Verona threatened to find a consolation goal when Ibrahim Sulemana prodded an effort agonisingly against the post late on. But, ultimately, Atalanta cruised to victory, ending a run of two league games without victory to move back into the Serie A’s top six, leaving Verona, meanwhile, inside the relegation zone on head-to-head records, having won just once in their last five games.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rasmus Hojlund (Atalanta)
