Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick saw Atalanta claim their first international title with a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24 UEFA Europa League Final.
Lookman fired Atalanta ahead with a 12th minute strike from Davide Zappacosta’s cutback pass, before he calmly curled in his second goal 14 minutes later after he pounced upon a loose ball.
The 26 year-old completed his hat-trick and Atalanta’s first international title with a stunning 75th minute strike, which in-turn ended Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten season in all competitions.
With no prior major final appearances in all UEFA competitions, Atalanta didn’t seem shaken about the daunting task as they began on a strong attacking press front foot in a largely end-to-end opening 11 minutes until they won a corner kick.
Lookman’s delivery was initially cleared but fell for Zappacosta to cut back for the ex Charlton academy graduate to calmly smash into the near-left corner, as he timed his run into the box perfectly as he re-joined the action from his corner delivery.
Leverkusen though had come into this game on a 51-match unbeaten run and almost levelled through Josip Stanisic’s 19th minute strike from Alex Grimaldo’s cut-back pass, yet Juan Musso made a comfortable save.
Atalanta however weren’t fazed by that scare as seven minutes later, Lookman pounced upon a loose ball and calmly curled into the bottom-right corner for his second of the game, which in-turn doubled Atalanta’s lead.
Gianluca Scamacca almost added a third goal in the 31st minute for Atalanta but blasted his shot straight into Matej Kovar’s arms.
Charles De Ketelaere then forced a 42nd minute save from Kovar after he pounced upon Scamacca’s pass and took aim, as Atalanta continued to look to kill the match off with a third goal which didn’t come before the half-time whistle.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen meanwhile struggled to create many chances of note but Granit Xhaka rifled wide of the bottom-right corner in first-half injury-time.
Despite one change from both teams at half-time, Atalanta almost wrapped up victory just four minutes into the second half as Toun Koopmeiners’ cutback cross almost found De Ketelaere to nod in but was cleared behind.
Jeremie Frimpong wasted a chance to reduce Leverkusen’s deficit but volleyed his shot over the bar in the 59th minute, before a cross towards Grimaldo at the left post five minutes was saved.
Atalanta ultimately punished Leverkusen’s sloppiness with a stunning 75th minute moment as Scamacca teed up Lookman to skip past Edmond Tapsoba, from which he calmly curled into the top-right corner to complete his hat-trick.
Lookman consequently became the first player to score a hat-trick in an Europa League Final under the single showpiece match format, having previously been played across two legs until end of 1996-97 season.
Lookman and his teammates eventually saw the game out to claim their first major international title in all UEFA competitions.
Leverkusen were left ruing a wasted chance to move one step closer towards a treble but must regroup quickly, with a DFB Pokal Final against Kaiserslautern to come on Saturday 25 May as they now contemplate a domestic title double instead.
Teams
Atalanta: Juan Musso, Davide Zappacosta (Hateboer 84′), Matteo Ruggeri, Sead Kolasinac (Scalvini 46′), Isak Hien, Berat Djimsiti, Ederson, Toun Koopmeiners, Gianluca Scamacca (Toure 84′), Charles De Ketelaere (Pasalic 57′), Ademola Lookman
Substitutes: Rafael Toloi, Emil Holm, Mario Pasalic, El Bilal Toure, Marten De Roon, Mitchel Bakker, Michel Ndary Adopo, Marco Carnesecchi, Francesco Rossi, Hans Hateboer, Giorgio Scalvini, Aleksei Miranchuk
Bayer Leverkusen: Matej Kovar, Josip Stanisic (Boniface 46′), Alex Grimaldo (Hlozek 69′), Piero Hincapie, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, Exequiel Palacios (Andrich 68′), Granit Xhaka, Amine Adli, Jeremie Frimpong (Tella 81′), Florian Wirtz (Schick 81′)
Substitutes: Lukas Hradecky, Odilon Kossounou, Jonas Hofmann, Robert Andrich, Borja Iglesias, Arthur, Patrik Schick, Nathan Tella, Victor Boniface, Adam Hlozek, Gustavo Puerta, Niklas Lomb
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
Leave a Reply