Atalanta marked their maiden game in the Champions League knockout stages with a resounding 4-1 win over Valencia in the first leg of their last-16 tie at San Siro on Wednesday.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side dominated from the outset against their LaLiga opponents and opened the scoring after 16 minutes, Hans Hateboer claiming his first goal in the competition with a close-range finish.
Josip Ilicic doubled their advantage shortly before the interval with a fine strike, before Remo Freuler curled home a third from long distance in the 57th minute.
Hateboer then claimed a second five minutes later, and while Denis Cheryshev pulled a goal back for Valencia, the Italian side will be supremely confident of finishing off the job in Spain in three weeks' time.
Match Events
16' GOAL! Atalanta 1-0 Valencia (Hateboer)
Gomez advances menacingly towards the edge of the area as the Valencia defence fearfully back off and he capitalises by stroking a devious delivery across the face of goal and towards the back post where Hateboer crashes it into an empty net!
42' GOAL! Atalanta 2-0 Valencia (Ilicic)
Pasalic innocuously squares a pass to Ilicic on the edge of the area, where the attacker craftily shimmies past a challenge before lashing a brilliant shot across goal and into the top left corner from 20 yards!
57' GOAL! Atalanta 3-0 Valencia (Freuler)
The hosts have been pressing the Valencia backline furiously and it pays off as Gomez robs Parejo before Freuler takes over and whips a curling shot from 25 yards that bends delightfully beyond Domenech and into the top corner by the far post!
62' GOAL! Atalanta 4-0 Valencia (Hateboer)
Pasalic slips a clever pass beyond the offside Ilicic and into the path of Hateboer who holds off Diakhaby before racing into the area and squeezing a weak shot in at the near post beyond a helpless Domenech!
66' GOAL! Atalanta 4-1 Valencia (Cheryshev)
Palomino makes a costly error as he hits a wayward pass across the backline towards Hateboer, allowing Cheryshev to nip in and take full advantage by drilling a powerful, low effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards!
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