Atalanta Clinch First European Trophy with 3-0 Victory in Dublin
Ademola Lookman dashed Bayer Leverkusen’s dreams of an unbeaten treble, scoring a hat trick to help Atalanta win 3-0 in the Europa League final in Dublin.
The former Everton and RB Leipzig forward, now 26, produced a career-defining performance, pulling Gian Piero Gasperini’s club to their first European title and handing Leverkusen a first defeat in nearly a year.
Leverkusen’s exceptional unbeaten streak extended 51 games and 361 days, starting with a 3-0 loss to VfL Bochum in May 2023.
However, Lookman’s brilliance provided that the Bundesliga champions faced loss on the huge European stage.
“It wasn’t lost as far as of attitude; it was a football thing,” said Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso.
“It happens; it is football. Today was not meant to be. “They were better.”
Leverkusen, getting recently won their first German title with a remarkable record of 28 wins, 6 draws, and no losses, were on the brink of a historic triple.
They hoped to add the Europa League and the DFB Pokal to their collection, a feat never before achieved without defeat in European sport. However, Atalanta had other plans.
The Italian Serie A unit, who had already beaten Liverpool in the quarterfinals and Marseille in the semifinals, controlled from the off.
Lookman’s third goal, an outstanding solo effort in the 75th minute, destroyed any hope of a Leverkusen comeback, given their recent success in saving draws from losing positions.
“These final-game defeats are memorable. We had a great opportunity, and we put everything into it, but it did not happen as planned,” Alonso reflected.
“We weren’t at our best, and we’ll learn from this. How we deal with the pain will be difficult for us.”
For Leverkusen, their immediate attention is on the German Cup final against second-tier Kaiserslautern. If they win there, they will still be able to make history by completing an unbeaten domestic double.
“It’s our first defeat of the season, so it will be a reflection as to how we deal with it since we have a big game on Saturday,” Alonso stated.
“It generally occurs earlier in the season, but when it happens in such a huge game, it hurts. However, we must turn this grief into something constructive.
Atalanta’s triumph marks a significant milestone, not only for the club but also for Lookman, whose performance will be remembered as one of the great individual displays in Europa League history.
For Leverkusen, the challenge now lies in bouncing back swiftly and ensuring that one setback does not define their otherwise stellar season.
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