Atalanta 4-1 Valencia: Hans Hateboer scores twice as unfancied Serie A side run riot to take a giant step towards the Champions League quarter-finals
- Hans Hateboer gave Atalanta the lead after just 16 minutes against Valencia
- Josip Ilicic made it two before Remo Freuler and Hateboer extended the lead
- Denis Cheryshev grabbed an away goal for the LaLiga side in the second half
- Italians are looking to reach last eight in their first Champions League campaign
Hans Hateboer scored twice as Atalanta beat Valencia 4-1 on Wednesday night to put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Roughly a third of the population of the small town of Bergamo was present at Milan’s San Siro stadium to see Hateboer, Josip Ilicic and Remo Freuler score in a convincing win.
Substitute Denis Cheryshev scored a consolation goal for Valencia to give the Spanish team a glimmer of hope ahead of the second leg on March 10.
Hans Hateboer wheels away to celebrate the second of his two goals against Valencia
The defender fired home to put Atalanta 4-0 up on the night before Valencia got one back
Hateboer struck to give the Italian side the lead after just 16 minutes at the San Siro
The defender snuck in at the back post to fire Atalanta into the lead on Wednesday evening
Atalanta qualified for Europe’s top competition for the first time after a surprise third-place finish in Serie A last season. And they progressed to the knockout stages despite losing their first three matches in the competition.
They are playing their home matches at the San Siro as their own stadium didn’t meet UEFA requirements. Bergamo has a population of approximately 122,000 and more than 40,000 made the 60-kilometre journey.
Atalanta were forced into a late change as defender Berat Djimsiti picked up a knock during the warm-up and had to be replaced in the starting line-up by Mattia Caldara.
The home side started brightly and Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez sent a free-kick narrowly over before Mario Pasalic forced a smart stop from Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Domenech.
Atalanta broke the deadlock in the 16th minute when Hateboer slid in at the back post to turn in Gomez’s cross from the left.
Josip Ilicic celebrates after scoring Atalanta’s second goal against Valencia at the San Siro
The Slovenian moved the ball out of his feet before firing into the top corner in the first half
Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Domenech fails to get anywhere near Ilicic’s strike on Wednesday
Atalanta’s players celebrate together during their comprehensive win in the last-16 first leg
Robin Gosens hit the side netting shortly afterwards before Valencia got into the match and almost levelled on the half-hour mark following a quickly-taken free-kick, but Ferran Torres’ effort crashed off the right post.
Valencia went close again when Goncalo Guedes’ cross-shot flew past Eliaquim Mangala sliding in at the far post.
But Atalanta doubled their lead three minutes from the break as Ilicic held off two defenders before firing into the top left corner.
Atalanta dominated from the restart and Freuler extended his side’s lead in the 57th minute, curling a spectacular effort into the top right corner.
The noise in the stadium was ramped-up even more five minutes later when Hateboer ran almost half the length of the pitch before shooting past Domenech.
Cheryshev replaced Guedes in the 64th minute and pulled one back for Valencia two minutes later, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner to give the Spanish side a potentially crucial away goal.