Atalanta shattered Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak with a resounding 3-0 victory in the Europa League final, clinching their first continental title in 61 years and ending Italy’s 25-year drought in the competition since Parma’s triumph in 1999.
Ademola Lookman, the Nigerian sensation, etched his name in history with a spectacular hat-trick at Dublin Arena. His goals in the 12th, 26th, and 75th minutes dismantled Leverkusen’s formidable defense, marking their first defeat of the season after an astonishing 361-day unbeaten run across 52 matches in all competitions.
This triumph not only secured Atalanta’s first major trophy since their Coppa Italia success in 1963 but also elevated Lookman to rarefied air, making him just the sixth player to achieve a hat-trick in a European final and the first since Jupp Heynckes in 1975.
Gian Gasperini, Atalanta’s coach, lauded Lookman’s transformation, attributing it to strategic positioning and remarkable progress. Gasperini expressed his astonishment at Lookman’s meteoric rise, highlighting the winger’s pivotal role in the historic victory.
“We had a senior manager at Atalanta [Lee Congerton] who had worked at Leicester, who saw the opportunity to bring him in and thought he was a possible useful player. Nobody could ever imagine he’d could make this much progress. He wasn’t overly prolific in England. I changed his position to a more attacking role.
“Tonight he achieved something which will remain in the annals of football history – a stunning hat-trick,” he said.
Despite their recent loss to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, Atalanta’s triumph in the Europa League final marks a remarkable turnaround, capping off their season with a resounding achievement.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen still have an opportunity to salvage their season by clinching the German Cup final against Kaiserslautern, potentially securing a domestic double without a single defeat. Their unprecedented unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga season further underscores their dominance, setting the stage for a thrilling climax in Berlin.
