Charles De Ketelaere Leads Atalanta To Dominant 6-1 Victory Against Young Boys In Champions League

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Charles De Ketelaere was instrumental in Atalanta's impressive 6-1 victory over Young Boys in the Champions League. Scoring twice and assisting three times, De Ketelaere propelled last season's Europa League champions to fourth place, just two points shy of leaders Inter. His performance was pivotal in securing this commanding win.

The match began with De Ketelaere setting up Mateo Retegui for an early goal in the ninth minute. However, Silvere Ganvoula quickly equalised for Young Boys, marking the first goal Atalanta conceded in the competition this season. Despite this setback, Atalanta dominated the remainder of the half.

De Ketelaere scored his first goal in the 28th minute after a corner kick was flicked towards him. He managed to turn and squeeze a low shot into the net. Later, he assisted Sead Kolasinac with a precise through ball from midfield, which Kolasinac converted calmly.

In a remarkable display, De Ketelaere became the first player to be involved in five or more goals for an Italian team in a single Champions League game. OptaPaolo highlighted this achievement on Twitter:

The Belgian international capped off his dominant first half by assisting Retegui once more. In the second half, De Ketelaere scored again with a low shot from outside the box that deflected slightly before finding its target.

Historical Context and Achievements

This match marked Atalanta's largest victory margin in major European competitions. Conversely, it equalled Young Boys' worst home defeat record, matching their 5-0 loss to Hamburger SV in November 1960.

De Ketelaere joined an elite group as only the third player to assist three goals in one half of a Champions League match. Previously, Ryan Giggs achieved this feat for Manchester United against Roma in April 2007 and Carlos Martins did so for Benfica against Lyon in November 2010.

Lazar Samardzic added another goal during stoppage time to seal Atalanta's emphatic win. This result not only showcased Atalanta's attacking prowess but also highlighted De Ketelaere's exceptional contribution to their success on this occasion.