Atalanta second-half goal rush hammers Salernitana in Serie A
Salernitana’s Lorenzo Pirola celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Boulaye Dia, right, and Atalanta’s Berat Djimsiti battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel, right, scores his side’s first goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Antonio Candreva, left, and Atalanta’s Davide Zappacosta battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Lorenzo Pirola celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Lorenzo Pirola celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Boulaye Dia, right, and Atalanta’s Berat Djimsiti battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Boulaye Dia, right, and Atalanta’s Berat Djimsiti battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel, right, scores his side’s first goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel, right, scores his side’s first goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Antonio Candreva, left, and Atalanta’s Davide Zappacosta battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Salernitana’s Antonio Candreva, left, and Atalanta’s Davide Zappacosta battle for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Salernitana at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
ROME (AP) — Atalanta recovered from conceding an early goal to score four times in the second half and hammer Salernitana 4-1 in Serie A on Monday.
The result lifted the team from Bergamo into seventh place, a point behind Fiorentina and Napoli. Salernitana remained on the bottom.
Salernitana came into the game with the worst away record in the league, having collected just two points from seven games and scoring a meager four goals.
But it threatened to end that appalling record with an early goal. After 10 minutes, Lorenzo Pirola snuck in between two defenders to head home a deep cross from the right.
However, the home side moved up a gear in a tremendous second half.
Luis Muriel equalized with a spectacular volley after 47 minutes and five minutes later Atalanta was ahead when Mario Pasalic cheekily slotted the ball between a defender’s legs and past the unsighted keeper.
Belgian midfielder Charles De Ketelaere made it 3-1 eight minutes from time and Aleksei Miranchuk scored the last in the last minute.
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