De Ketelaere's Late Goal Leads Atalanta To 2-1 Victory Over Monza In Pre-Season Friendly

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Charles De Ketelaere's late goal secured a 2-1 win for Atalanta against Monza in their second-to-last pre-season match. De Ketelaere scored with eight minutes left, working well with El Bilal Toure to finish at the near post. Atalanta fielded a strong team, but striker Ademola Lookman was missing amid transfer rumours linking him to Inter.

Lookman has reportedly missed training for three days, and Atalanta is said to have turned down Inter's initial offer of €45 million. On the field, Ivan Juric's team fell behind in the 14th minute when Samuele Birindelli scored from inside the box. However, Giorgio Scalvini equalised in the 69th minute with a header that hit the crossbar before going in.

The victory was sealed by De Ketelaere shortly after Scalvini's goal. Atalanta now looks ahead to their final pre-season game against Cologne before starting their Serie A campaign on August 24.

With Lookman's future uncertain and last season's top scorer Mateo Retegui moving to Al-Qadsiah, De Ketelaere might be key for Atalanta's attack in the upcoming season. Last year, only Retegui (37) and Lookman (26) had more goal contributions than De Ketelaere (25) for Atalanta. His impact was evident against Monza despite coming on in the 61st minute.

This season could also be significant for Bilal Toure, who aims to establish himself after scoring three goals in 17 appearances during his loan at Stuttgart last season. His campaign was cut short by a metatarsal fracture.

As Atalanta prepares for their Serie A opener, both De Ketelaere and Toure have opportunities to make significant contributions to the team's success this season.