- Atalanta Bergamo deservedly beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final and won their first title since 1963.
- Ademola Lookman became the Italian match winner, scoring all three goals for Bergamasco.
- This ends Leverkusen’s mega streak of 51 games without defeat.
In the 75th minute, Ademola Lookman crowned what was probably the best game of his career. The Nigerian striker, who plays for Atalanta Bergamo, beat Edmond Tabsoba on the edge of the penalty area and shot powerfully from the left to make it 3-0. The final in Dublin was finally decided after Lookman’s third goal. This marked the end of a long period of suffering for Atalanta. Until Wednesday, the only trophy in the Lombardy club’s trophy cabinet dated back to 1963, when Atalanta won the Italian Cup.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, not only missed out on their first international trophy since their UEFA Cup triumph in 1988, but their winning streak also ended in Dublin after 51 games without defeat. Instead of the treble, they can only expect a double as a “consolation prize” in the DFB Cup against Kaiserslautern on Saturday.
Lookman’s perfect evening
It was clear from the start of the match that Leverkusen’s mega series could be broken in Dublin. There was little to be seen in Dublin of the self-confidence of a team that has been unbeaten for 51 games. The German champions seemed overwhelmed by Atalanta Bergamo’s rebellious style of play. Many bad passes and inadmissible mistakes characterized the picture in the opening phase.
The Bergamasques rewarded themselves for their good start in the 12th minute. After an insufficiently cleared corner, Davide Zappacosta brought the ball sharply into the center from the right side. Lookman was lurking at the second post, getting to the ball in front of Leverkusen defender Exequiel Palacios and netting to make it 1-0.
Legend:
Man of the match
Ademola Lookman.
Keystone / TOLGA AKMEN
Grimaldo’s wayward lob
The early goal did not serve as a wake-up call for the German champions. Around a quarter of an hour later, the ball fidgeted again in the “Werkself” net. Again it was Lookman who doubled up with an individual effort. The Nigerian first let Nati captain Granit
It was only after 35 minutes that Leverkusen came close to the opponent’s goal for the first time. But Alejandro Grimaldo’s attempted lob was easily stopped by goalkeeper Juan Musso. Even after the break, Bayer remained largely harmless despite having over 67 percent possession. Atalanta defended their lead skillfully and made everything clear with Lookman’s third strike.