The winger for Atalanta Ademola Lookman was ruthless and this just showed that Bayer Leverkusen’s improbable dream of completing a full season unbeaten with a hat trick of trophies is worth it.
At the same time, Lookman became the hat-trick hero in Atalanta’s 3-0 win against Leverkusen in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
That was an upset few people had imagined for the new German champion whose European record run unbeaten was stopped at 51 games by a side that had lost 3-0 to Liverpool in last eight matches.
Lookman, who is born Nigerian from London, had little mercy for wrong decisions by Leverkusen players twice in a game where favorites couldn’t settle. He ended his individual show with great goal in the 75th minute.
During any normal season or regular European final, Atalanta and their experienced coach Gian Piero Gasperini would make an upbeat football story.
Why not love this impartial football fans in the super league era of money? The first one is when a well-organized club from a small ordinary town plays attractive football on a low budget and its faithful coach raises it to its first top-level trophy in 61 years.
Rather, Atalanta descended to be the villain and spoil Leverkusen’s dreams of eternal European football.
The German Cup final on Saturday will see Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso motivate his charges. Up against Kaiserslautern who are now playing second fiddle to them at the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Bayer Kurve will start as firm favourites.
With minutes remaining in Dublin, finally Alonso could only watch his team stand still and alone, right there in front of the home bench. After he did put hands deep into pockets of skinny black trousers then crossed them alternately
The dark blazer zipped up high against the cold evening air, Yelling Gasperini dancing with his players and staff some meters away was preparing for that last whistle.
Alonso made the big call instead yesterday leaning towards Exequiel Palacios over Robert Andrich through which the opening goal came from 2022 World Cup winning Argentinean captain.
The game was Palacios palacios in the distant post he would not have been able to see Lookman behind him when Zappacosta’s cross, over everybody, went out for a goal kick. It was a rising one from Lookman on the left dazzle side of Palacios.
Yet again Leverkusen made it 2-0 within the 26th minute following another misplaced pass at the center of their own half. To Lookman, Adli’s header back towards his own defense was casual.
Former Everton player eluded Granit Xhaka and curled his right-footed effort into the far corner beyond goalie Matěj Kovář who went down to his left.
This is the fourth time that Leverkusen has trailed 2-0 in a Europa League knockout round match since March, but its unbeaten streak has ever been under greater threat.
Leverkusen missed out on all these late and injury-time goals that kept them moving throughout this season.
Even before Atalanta scored fans from Bergamo — with roughly 9,000 outnumbering those from Leverkusen by about 12,000 in a crowd of around 48,000 — were louder than their German counterparts in an Irish Capital evening that was cloudy and breezy.
The players’ commitment from the onset of the match, was physical, it annoyed Leverkusen out of its usually stylish and tight checking.
Atalanta gifted Leverkusen with the ball in its own half on several occasions and did little. But when they did come, Alex Grimaldo had a weak attempt at goal that was easily saved by Juan Musso who rushed off his line to narrow down the angle and Jeremie Frimpong’s volleyed shot went high over the bar.