Torino 3-0 Atalanta: Zapata’s Brace Dents Visitors’ Top-Four Hopes

Duvan Zapata, the Torino FC forward, demonstrated his exceptional ability to score goals by scoring twice in a 3-0 triumph over his previous team, Atalanta BC. This victory has hindered Atalanta’s chances of finishing in the top four of the Serie A TIM.

Zapata wasted little time in making a significant contribution, scoring a goal after only 22 minutes of play. This was his first match against his former club since joining Torino during the summer transfer window. During his time in Bergamo, the Colombian striker had previously achieved the second-highest goal scorer position in Atalanta’s history, a record that he held for five years.

After the break, Torino increased their advantage with a penalty scored by Antonio Sanabria, making it a difficult situation for Atalanta to overcome. In the final moments of extra time, Zapata scored once again, completing his brace and securing the victory for Torino.

Atalanta’s performance was unexpectedly lackluster, resulting in their second consecutive loss in the league. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team has only been able to gather one point from their last three Serie A matches and has not won in any of the four competitions they have participated in. Consequently, their descent in the rankings has landed them in eighth position, falling four points behind AS Roma in the competition for a top-four spot.

By securing a victory after a month-long dry spell, Torino has advanced to the upper half of the standings, closely trailing Atalanta by only one point in tenth place.

Gasperini’s choice to begin the match without a conventional forward, especially in the absence of Gianluca Scamacca, ultimately proved to be a questionable tactic. Torino took advantage of this situation and exerted dominance over the game right from the beginning. Torino showcased their offensive skills with Zapata’s goal in the middle of the first half, setting the tone for their attacking dominance.

Despite a few opportunities for Atalanta, including a blocked shot by Charles de Ketelaere from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, their underwhelming display compelled Gasperini to make halftime substitutions. Luis Muriel and Emil Holm were introduced to rejuvenate the team’s performance.

Nevertheless, Atalanta’s situation deteriorated when Giorgio Scalvini gave away a penalty by tugging Alessandro Buongiorno’s jersey during a corner, worsening their predicament. Sanabria confidently took the penalty kick, increasing Torino’s advantage.

Gasperini made a tactical change by replacing De Ketelaere with Mario Pasalic in hopes of finding a breakthrough. However, Torino’s defense remained resilient despite Pasalic’s attempts. Raoul Bellanova, the energetic wing-back of Torino, also had an opportunity to extend their lead but was unable to find the target.

As the game neared its end, Pasalic had Atalanta’s most promising chance to score, but his strong shot was skillfully stopped by Milinkovic-Savic. Nevertheless, it was Zapata who had the ultimate authority, concluding his double with a redirected shot in the late minutes of added time.

In the forthcoming fixtures, Atalanta will confront AC Milan on December 9, whereas Torino will journey to Frosinone on December 10.

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