‘Devastating’ – Italian Media Wowed By Atalanta Star As Chelsea Beaten
He was the star of the show for Atalanta.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 12 December 2025
Charles De Ketelaere’s display in Atalanta’s Champions League win over Chelsea had the Italian media raving on Tuesday night.
Atalanta star Charles De Ketelaere delivers ‘dazzling’ display against Chelsea
The Dea came from behind at the New Balance Arena to stun Enzo Maresca’s Blues, who have also been wobbling in the Premier League of late.
Chelsea, who were without Cole Palmer as he continues to recover from injury, took the lead through Joao Pedro.
However, Atalanta picked up the pace in the second half and equalized with a header from Gianluca Scamacca.
Charles De Ketelaere, who assisted Scamacca, then made it 2-1 seven minutes from time with a fine run and shot that beat Robert Sanchez.
It wasn’t just the fans and neutrals who loved what they saw from the Belgian – the Italian press also couldn’t sing his praises highly enough.
For instance, Corriere Bergamo awarded De Ketelaere an 8 out of 10 rating and deemed him “the best”.
They wrote: “He secured the win, making it 2-1 with a sharp right-footed shot against the run of play after a brilliant dribble that caught the visiting defenders off guard.
“Earlier on, he was also involved – it was his cross that set up Scamacca’s equaliser for 1-1.
“When he gets on the ball and delivers effective switches of play, it’s a pure spectacle.”
🔟 | Perfection
Charles De Ketelaere v Chelsea:
👌 49 touches
⚽️ 1 goal
🎯 2 shots/1 on target
📦 0.19 xG/0.41 xGOT
🅰️ 1 assist
📮 0.68 xA
🔑 3 key passes
👟 27/31 accurate passes
🤺 6/7 ground duels won
📈 10 Sofascore RatingA spectacular display to lead Atalanta to a… pic.twitter.com/ioLpD7AFCh
— Sofascore Football (@Sofascore) December 9, 2025
Likewise, Tuttosport went with an 8 out of 10 rating.
“He narrowly misses the tap-in in the sixth minute, but then shows devastating technique,” they wrote.
“He delivers a perfect cross for Scamacca’s header and finds the perfect angle to double the lead.”
Meanwhile, Eurosport.it gave De Ketelaere a rating of 8.5 out of 10, hailing his “technique and personality.”
They continued: “When he switched on, it was real pain for the Chelsea defenders: a perfect assist for Scamacca and a dazzling run for the winning goal.
“What a performance from the Belgian!”
What shocked Charles De Ketelaere on Tuesday night
Speaking after the game, De Ketelaere admitted that he be given the amount of space he had against Chelsea.
The Belgian also stated that the Italian side knew they had a better chance of scoring after the break.
“No [I didn’t expect to have that much space],” De Ketelaere told TNT Sports.
“I felt them kept dropping back. I’m a bit lucky with the deflection, but it’s in. It’s a beautiful victory.
“We knew they have a lot of goals scored against them in the second half.”
All in all, a great performance from De Ketelaere and Atalanta, who are now third in the Champions League table.
La Dea are back in Serie A action on Saturday when they host Cagliari in a 20:45 CET kick-off.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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