Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was among the scorers as Atalanta produced a dominant performance on Sunday, thrashing Monza 4-0 away from home to edge closer to UEFA Champions League qualification. The comprehensive victory not only strengthened Atalanta’s top-four credentials but also confirmed Monza’s relegation from Serie A after a turbulent campaign.
Charles De Ketelaere gave the visitors a solid foundation in the first half with a well-taken brace—his first goals in Serie A since before the Christmas break. Atalanta extended their dominance after the interval, with Lookman getting on the scoresheet before Marco Brescianini rounded off the scoring with a composed finish.
The result moves Atalanta six points ahead of Juventus, who remain fifth on the log and are due to play a crucial match against Bologna later on Sunday. With just three matches left in the season, the race for Champions League qualification is intensifying, particularly as Roma—another contender for a top-four finish—visit Atalanta in Bergamo next weekend.
Despite the joy on the pitch, the mood around the Gewiss Stadium remained sombre following the tragic death of Atalanta supporter Riccardo Claris. The 26-year-old fan was stabbed to death during a clash with a group of Inter Milan supporters on Saturday night in Bergamo. Fans paid tribute to the deceased with an emotional banner that read, “Claris everywhere with us,” as a mark of respect.
Sunday’s defeat spelled the end of Monza’s three-year stint in the Italian top flight. The club, owned by the Berlusconi family and managed by former Italian international Alessandro Nesta, now sit a daunting 12 points behind Lecce—who are just above the relegation zone and lost to Napoli on Saturday. With the points gap unbridgeable, Monza are mathematically relegated and will compete in Serie B next season.
Elsewhere in Serie A, the race for the final Champions League spots remains wide open. Roma, currently seventh and unbeaten in their last 18 league outings, are just three points behind fourth-placed Lazio and have a superior head-to-head record. Should they defeat Fiorentina, they stand a chance of leapfrogging Lazio, especially with Juve and Lazio set to face each other next weekend in what could be a decisive fixture for European qualification.
Lazio, for their part, secured a narrow 1-0 victory over struggling Empoli earlier in the day, courtesy of a quick-fire goal from Boulaye Dia. The match ended with both sides reduced to ten men, adding further tension to the tightly contested league run-in. Bologna, sitting sixth, are only a point behind Lazio and could climb higher depending on the outcome of their fixture against Juventus.
Meanwhile, Napoli and Inter Milan have pulled away from the rest of the pack and are now locked in a two-horse race for the Scudetto, with the league title expected to be decided in the final weeks of the campaign.
Atalanta’s emphatic win over Monza underlines their intent, but the battle for the top four is far from over. With direct encounters among the leading sides still to come, the race for Champions League football remains one of the most compelling storylines as the Serie A season draws to a dramatic close.
