MILAN - Ivorian youngster Franck Kessie hit a second-half leveler and set up a dramatic last-gasp winner as Atalanta ended a three-game winless run in a 2-1 win over Empoli Tuesday.
Atalanta, which last month was being tipped for a place in next season’s Europa League, left it late to overcome its Tuscan visitor.
Empoli fired a warning when Levan Mchedlidze got on the end of a free-kick six minutes after the restart to flick the ball past Marco Sportiello at the goalkeeper’s far post.
It gave the visitors hope of claiming their first pair of consecutive league wins since December 2015, but Kessie, a towering striker who is already courting interest from a number of top clubs, was a game-changer.
After celebrating his 20th birthday on Monday, he replaced Jasmin Kurtic at half-time and on 74 minutes picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area to beat Lukasz Skorupski with a vicious low drive inside the keeper’s near post.
Atalanta fought till the bitter end and after Kessie battled to keep possession wide on the left, he whipped in a cross that came off two bodies before Marco D’Alessandro poked the loose ball into the net for a last-minute winner.
Atalanta finishes 2016 among some prestigious company, with only AC Milan, Lazio, Napoli, Roma and champions Juventus above it.
Empoli remains fourth from bottom, five points above the relegation places.
Dortmund stumbles against Augsburg
Borussia Dortmund missed a bagful of chances to draw 1-1 at home with Augsburg Tuesday, as it squandered the opportunity to make up ground in the Bundesliga title race heading into the winter break.
South Korean Ji Dong-won beat keeper Roman Weidenfeller at the second attempt in the 33rd minute to put the visitors ahead.
Dortmund, which had hit the post through Mario Goetze in the ninth minute, dominated late in the first half but could not make its pressure count until Ousmane Dembele levelled two minutes after the restart.
Dortmund is fourth on 27 points, nine points adrift of leader Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, who face each other Wednesday.
Eintracht Frankfurt moved up to third on 29 after beating 10-man Mainz 05 3-0 with Branimir Hrgota scoring twice as they secured a fourth victory in their last seven league games.
Mario Gomez’s winner gave VfL Wolfsburg a 2-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach that left both teams on 16 points and heaped further pressure on Gladbach coach Andre Schubert following their fifth loss in the last seven games.
Hamburg SV climbed into the relegation playoff spot after edging past Schalke 04 2-1.
