Ademola Lookman nets stunning hat-trick in Europa League final
Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini celebrates his first major trophy as a manager, with former Everton player Ademola Lookman stealing the spotlight by scoring a sensational hat-trick in a 3-0 victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
This triumph also marks only the second major trophy in Atalanta’s 116-year history, the first being the Coppa Italia over six decades ago.
Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, saw their impressive 51-game unbeaten run come to an end. The German side, fresh off their first Bundesliga title, ran out of steam after a remarkable season.
Lookman exploited this fatigue, beginning his scoring spree with a back-post finish just 12 minutes into the match. He then doubled Atalanta’s lead 14 minutes later with a stunning curling shot.
Lookman completed his hat-trick with a powerful left-footed strike into the top corner, making him the first player ever to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final.
Despite recently losing to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, Gasperini’s team bounced back to dismantle Leverkusen’s rhythm.
The high pressing game employed by Atalanta forced early errors from the German side. Granit Xhaka’s misstep allowed Matteo Ruggeri to set up Gianluca Scamacca for a headed chance, serving as an early warning that Leverkusen failed to heed.
The breakthrough came when Teun Koopmeiners capitalized on a partially cleared corner, passing the ball to Davide Zappacosta, who set up Lookman for the opening goal.
Leverkusen’s defense faltered again when Lookman seized a loose ball, nutmegged Xhaka, and unleashed a curling shot from 20 yards to double the lead.
Leverkusen had a chance to narrow the gap when Alex Grimaldo found himself one-on-one with Atalanta’s goalkeeper Juan Musso, but failed to chip the advancing keeper.
Known for their dramatic late comebacks throughout the season, Leverkusen couldn’t muster a response this time. Scamacca assisted Lookman for his third goal with a deft pass, allowing Lookman to create space with a stepover before firing a fierce left-footed shot past goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
This victory not only secured a significant triumph for Gasperini but also ended Bayer Leverkusen’s dream of a treble, although they still have the chance to win a domestic double in the upcoming German Cup final against Kaiserslautern.
Ademola Lookman nets stunning hat-trick in Europa League final
