When thinking of Serie A’s top forwards, Duván Zapata is not the first name that will come to most people’s minds. The Colombian forward has always netted respectable figures throughout his career in Italian football but seems to have hit another level whilst on loan at Atalanta this season, banging in the goals to lift the Bergamo side to within reach of qualifying for European competition. We look at just how prolific Zapata has been during the current season and throughout his career.

Zapata’s career started in his native Colombia when he joined the youth setup of América De Cali, making his first team debut in 2008 and slowly turning himself into a regular starter. His first goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Deportivo Pereira and Zapata earned himself a move to Argentine side Estudiantes soon after his participation in the 2011 Under 20 World Cup for Colombia.

During his time in Argentina, Zapata netted 19 goals in 44 games and was close to a move to West Ham United in July 2013 before the move fell through, eventually sealing a move to European football with Napoli later that summer.

A strong and pacy forward, Zapata has set Serie A alight this season, scoring 16 goals in 23 games to sit behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Fabio Quagliarella in the scoring charts. His season actually started off relatively slowly, but he has netted a breathtaking 14 goals in his last 8 games to throw himself right into contention for the golden boot at the end of the season.

In a recent interview with the BBC, teammate Marten de Roon was full of praise for the Colombian, stating: “In the beginning it was hard for him to understand everything and the way we played. But now he feels he can give more than his opponent.”

As for his physicality, De Roon describes him as “a monster, he is a beast if you see his physicality and his speed.” Zapata has used these attributes to full effect, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw against leaders Juventus and becoming the first Atalanta player since Hasse Jeppson in 1952 to score four goals in a single Serie A fixture when he achieved the feat in a 5-0 away victory against Frosinone. Zapata’s form has meant Atalanta are in a good position to secure European football for the first time since the 15-16 season.

Zapata’s exploits this season are perhaps not as surprising to those who have followed his career in Italian football. Always a reliable goalscorer, even at Napoli where he mainly played as backup to forwards such as Gonzalo Higuain, Zapata scored 11 goals in 37 appearances that mainly came from the bench.

In the loan spells that followed with Udinese and Sampdoria, the Colombian netted 29 goals in 94 games, a respectable return but nothing that would suggest the season which he is currently having being on the horizon. But he has seemingly taken his game to the next level this year, something which he has threatened to do on many occasions but never truly fulfilled, until now. Atalanta will be hoping that will continue for the rest of this season and beyond.

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