Atalanta thrash Verona 5-0 with four from Retegui

VERONA, Italy :Atalanta thrashed lowly Hellas Verona 5-0 in Serie A on Saturday, with Italian striker Mateo Retegui scoring four times including a hat-trick before the break.

Retegui, the league's leading marksman, put Atalanta in front with a quick-fire double in four minutes before Ederson made it 3-0 following a smooth solo run.

Retegui completed his hat-trick just before halftime on a rebound and netted again in the 56th minute, converting a neat pass from Marten de Roon.

Atalanta, who exited the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 1-0 home loss to Bologna, remained third in the standings with 50 points.

They are four points off leaders Napoli and one behind second-placed Inter Milan, with both sides playing their games on Sunday.

Gian Piero Gasperini's men hold a seven-point cushion over fifth-placed Juventus.

Verona, who have the league's worst defence with 53 goals conceded, are 14th on 23 points.

In an action-packed game, Retegui scored the opener from close range in the 21st minute from a rebound.

Charles De Ketelaere hit the far post having dribbled his way into the box and Retegui followed up with a strike into a bottom corner. He doubled the lead with a low shot from inside the box before Brazil midfielder Ederson increased the advantage in the 37th minute.

The 25-year-old capitalised on a costly mistake by Verona midfielder Cheikh Niasse to recover the ball on the halfway line and finished his solo effort with a goal inside the far post.

Retegui put the visitors 4-0 up at the break with a goal that stood after a lengthy VAR review for a potential offside in the build-up.

Having landed another rebound following a free kick, the Italian found the back of the net after Stefan Posch and Isak Hien both hit the