Mateo Retegui showcased his exceptional talent by scoring a brilliant hat-trick against his former club as Atalanta dismantled Genoa 5-1.
The win came just days after La Dea’s impressive 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, but they had been struggling in Serie A with only one point from their last two games.
The team was grappling with an extensive injury list, missing key players such as Odilon Kossounou, Berat Djimsiti, Matteo Ruggeri, Marco Brescianini, Rafael Toloi, Giorgio Scalvini, and Gianluca Scamacca. However, the return of Isak Hien provided a glimmer of hope.
Genoa, on the other hand, was mired in a rough patch, managing to earn just one point from their last four matches while scoring a mere single goal and conceding eight.
Their lineup also faced significant absences, including Ruslan Malinovskyi, Milan Badelj, Junior Messias, Caleb Ekuban, and Morten Frendrup.
The match kicked off with a couple of missed opportunities for Atalanta. Ademola Lookman’s early volley soared over the bar, and a corner taken by Lookman skimmed the far post after a glancing header from Hien.
But it wasn’t long before Atalanta broke through, executing a beautifully choreographed series of one-touch passes that culminated in Lookman setting up Retegui, who slid in to score from close range.
In a display of sportsmanship, Retegui chose not to celebrate against his old club.
As the game progressed, Pierluigi Gollini, Genoa’s goalkeeper, found himself under constant pressure. He rushed off his line to deny Lookman and was forced to scramble as Sead Kolasinac’s angled drive whizzed past the goal.
Atalanta doubled their advantage shortly after the halftime break when Ederson unleashed a powerful long-range shot that Gollini could only parry. Retegui was on hand to capitalize on the rebound, making it 2-0.
Ederson then got on the scoresheet himself with a stunning strike from the edge of the area that thundered into the roof of the net, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Despite their dominance, Atalanta almost missed a golden opportunity to make it four when Mario Pasalic inexplicably shot over from just 10 yards after receiving a well-placed assist from Kolasinac.
The substitutions brought fresh legs into the game, with Lazar Samardzic testing Gollini with a deflected shot that nearly found the net.
However, VAR intervened, ruling the effort out as it had struck the hand of Alessandro Vogliacco. Retegui then took responsibility, stepping up to convert the penalty and complete his hat-trick.
Nicolò Zaniolo nearly added a fifth for Atalanta, receiving a slick pass from Retegui, but his shot hit the outside of the post.
The goal came shortly after when Johan Vasquez failed to clear a corner, allowing Marten de Roon to unleash a spectacular volley from the edge of the box that rocketed into the net.
Despite Atalanta’s offensive prowess, they once again displayed vulnerabilities in defense. Genoa managed to grab a consolation goal through Jeff Ekhator, who capitalized on an assist from Filippo Melegoni, ensuring the match ended 5-1.
While Atalanta continued to excel in Europe, their Serie A form remained a point of concern as they looked to tighten their defense in the upcoming matches.
