May 22, (THEWILL) – Ademola Lookman wrote his name into Atalanta’s history books with a brilliant hat-trick as the Italian underdogs claimed their first-ever major European trophy by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday night.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were unstoppable, attacking with Lookman leading the charge. The Nigerian striker’s treble not only fired Atalanta to glory but also ended Leverkusen’s remarkable 51-game unbeaten run across all competitions this season.
Atalanta’s long-serving manager since 2016 achieved this momentous continental triumph by masterminding wins over Sporting, Liverpool and Marseille en route to the final. Lookman’s goals at the Aviva Stadium capped a superb campaign that also saw them reach the Coppa Italia final before narrowly losing 1-0 to Juventus.
While Atalanta celebrated wildly, Bayer Leverkusen’s ‘Neverlusen’ season finally witnessed defeat, despite Victor Boniface’s second-half introduction. The Nigerian striker replaced an ineffective Josip Stanisic after 46 minutes but could not inspire a Leverkusen comeback as compatriot Lookman’s hat-trick sealed a 3-0 victory. Although Xabi Alonso’s side saw their 51-game unbeaten run end, they can still claim the domestic double by winning the DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern this weekend.
The historic Europa League triumph caps a remarkable campaign for Atalanta. Lookman also became only the second player to score a hat-trick for an Italian side in a major European competition final, following Pierino Prati’s feat for Milan in the 1969 European Cup against Ajax. It was also the sixth hat-trick in a major UEFA final and the first since Jupp Heynckes’ for Borussia Mönchengladbach against Twente in 1975.
The victory makes Atalanta the 10th Italian team to win a major European title, with only English teams having more (13).
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
