Italy international Mateo Retegui hammered Hellas Verona by scoring four goals in a dominating 5-0 victory at the Stadio Bentegodi.
Atalanta cemented their third spot in the Serie A table with a commanding 5-0 win over Verona on Saturday.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
La Dea had won just one of the previous six league games and faced Coppa Italia elimination at the hands of Bologna earlier this week.
Serie A leading scorer Retegui played a key role in La Dea’s win in Verona, scoring three goals in the first half and one after the break.
The Italian opened the account after just 21 minutes when Charles De Ketelaere hit the post from a tight angle inside the box. Retegui was in the right place at the right time to put the ball inside an empty net. The second one came shortly afterwards. It was inspired by a Berat Djimsiti assist, but the ex-Genoa star enjoyed far too much space inside the box.
The same happened when Ederson scored the third Atalanta goal at minute 37, winning the ball in central midfield and scoring with a curler at the far post after a solo run.
Retegui scored his third goal seconds before the break, steering the ball into the net after new signing Stefan Posch had hit the post.
The game’s intensity decreased in the second half, but Retegui was just as ruthless, as he netted his fourth goal of the day with a volley from a Marten de Roon assist. Once again, confused Verona defenders gave the Italy striker too much space.
Retegui now has 20 goals in 22 Serie A appearances.
Verona reacted way too late, but Atalanta had to thank their second-choice goalkeeper, Rui Patricio, for keeping a clean sheet. The Portuguese keeper denied Jackson Tchatchoua, Christian Mosquera and Nicolas Valentini in a matter of minutes, helping Atalanta to approach the upcoming Champions League game against Club Brugge in perfect mood.
Verona 0-5 Atalanta
Retegui 21, 25, 44, 56 (A), Ederson 37 (A)
Player statistic
| Cheikh Niasse |  |
16' | ||
| 21' |  |
Mateo Retegui | ||
| 25' | |
Mateo Retegui (Assist: Berat Djimsiti) | ||
| 37' | |
Éderson | ||
| Daniele Ghilardi | |
42' | ||
| 44' | |
Mateo Retegui |
| 56' | |
Mateo Retegui (Assist: Marten de Roon) | ||
| 80' | |
Ibrahim Sulemana |
Match statistic
The Bentegodi must be one of the most hideous structures in Europe. It looks like a stadium from 1980s East Germany. What a terrible back drop for a Serie A game.