Atalanta consolidates 3rd place in Serie A as race for final Champions League spot heats up

MILAN (AP) — Atalanta consolidated third place in Serie A on Sunday, while the race for the final Champions League spot behind it heated up.

Charles De Ketelaere found the back of the net in the league for the first time in 2025 with a first-half double to help set Atalanta on its way to a 4-0 win at Monza.

Monza, which was rooted to the bottom of the table and had looked doomed for months, was mathematically relegated as the result left it 12 points from safety with three rounds remaining.

De Ketelaere hadn’t scored in Serie A since December — a run of 16 matches — but ended his drought in fine fashion in the 12th minute, controlling a ball from Mateo Retegui before beating two men and drilling into the near bottom corner.

Monza showed why it is getting relegated 11 minutes later. Gaetano Castrovilli managed to intercept Retegui’s return pass towards Ademola Lookman but the Monza midfielder and teammate Pedro Pereira both just looked at the ball, allowing De Ketelaere to pounce and prod it into the bottom left corner.

Castrovilli thought he had atoned for his error when he headed home on the stroke of halftime but it was ruled out for offside.

Atalanta extended its lead immediately after the break when Retegui headed on a long ball over the top and Lookman beat Stefan Lekovic, who had only just come on, and raced into the area to fire past Semuel Pizzignacco.

Substitute Marco Brescianini capped a dominant Atalanta performance with a fourth, two minutes from time.

Champions League race

Lazio moved temporarily into fourth place with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Empoli.

Boulaye Dia scored the only goal after just 54 seconds and both teams ended the match with 10 men.

Empoli forward Lorenzo Colombo was sent off shortly before halftime after two bookings in the space of four minutes and Lazio defender Elseid Hysaj was dismissed in the 76th minute following a second yellow card.

Empoli remained two points from safety while Lazio leapfrogged a point above Juventus and two above Bologna ahead of the crucial match between those two teams later Sunday.

Lazio hosts Juventus next Saturday.

There was another direct battle on Sunday as Roma was set to play Fiorentina, with the two teams sitting just three and four points, respectively, below fourth place.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer