Charles De Ketelaere scored twice as Atalanta cruised to a 4-0 win at Monza on Sunday, solidifying third place and condemning the hosts to relegation from Serie A.

Belgium's De Ketelaere was at the double inside 23 minutes, first by dribbling past two defenders into the box for a cool finish, then taking advantage of a Monza error to score his second.

Ademola Lookman sealed Monza's doomed fate with a third goal for Atalanta two minutes after the break, finishing with his left foot after shaking off his marker with ease.

The hosts' misery deepened late in the game when Omari Forson’s diving header, which could have pulled one back, was brilliantly saved on the line by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.

Marco Brescianini added a fourth for the away side two minutes from time, sending Monza down with a whimper – they sit bottom and an unassailable 12 points adrift of 17th-placed Lecce.

Atalanta are now in control of third place as they have 68 points with three rounds remaining, while Lazio are fourth with 63 points and Juventus, who play Bologna later on Sunday, are in fifth with 62.

Data Debrief: xxx

Atalanta have now won 68 points in Serie A this season: only in 2019-20 (74) and in 2020-21 (72) have they managed more after 35 matches in their top-flight history.

Indeed, no team have won more away points than Atalanta's 39 in Europe's top five leagues this season, level with Barcelona.

Mateo Retegui managed a pair of assists on Sunday, with no Atalanta player involved in more goals than his 31 (24 goals, seven assists) in a single Serie A campaign since data collection began in 2003-04.

Their success is also built on a strong defence, with Carnesecchi keeping his 14th clean sheet, the most in the three-points-for-a-win Serie A era for Atalanta, overtaking the 13 for Andrea Consigli in 2011-12.

This was a thumping performance at the other end, too, leaving no surprise that Atalanta accumulated 2.58 expected goals to Monza's 0.59.