Ademola Lookman added an assist to his impressive performance as Atalanta defeated Monza 2-0 on Monday to move atop the Serie A standings.
With the victory, Atalanta moved two points ahead of Milan and Napoli with a total of 13 points.
Juan Musso was the game-changing player on both of Monza’s clear-cut chances in the first five minutes.
Prior to stopping Dany Mota Carvalho’s attempt from close range, the Argentina international had previously tipped Stefano Sensi’s attempt from the edge of the box over the bar.
In the second half, the atmosphere was very different as Lookman and his Atalanta teammates adopted an attacking stance, creating at least two or three opportunities before netting the game’s first goal.
Then, in the 57th minute, Rasmus Hjlund scored his first Serie A goal to break the tie. It was initially ruled out for offside but was later confirmed after a VAR review.
The 19-year-old capitalized on a flawless assist from Lookman’s left by placing the ball inside an empty net.
The second goal for Atalanta, which was scored similarly, was made possible in large part by the 24-year-old. Finding his teammate at the far post, Ederson ran to the right. Marlon, a defender, slipped while attempting to stop the shot but the ball ultimately found its way into the goal.
Following Treviso in 2005 and Benevento in 2017, Monza has now experienced defeat in each of its first five league games in Italy’s top division.
This season, Lookman has scored just one goal for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A.
