Ademola Lookman inspires Atalanta to Europa League glory against Leverkusen 

Ademola Lookman scored a hat-trick as Atalanta claimed a convincing 3-0 victory over Bayern Leverkusen in the UEFA European League (UEL) final at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday.

Coming off a disappointing Coppa Italia final loss to Juventus the previous week, Atalanta announced their winning intent early on in the match when Lookman found the net with a precise first-time strike after excellent interplay between Teun Koopmeiners and Davide Zappacosta in the 12th minute.

Atalanta’s relentless pressing created numerous problems for Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, leading to Lookman punishing the Bundesliga champions again with a stunning right-footed shot into the bottom corner in the 26th minute. Leverkusen attempted a brief comeback after the break, but Lookman sealed the win with a powerful angled finish in the 75th minute, extinguishing their hopes of a comeback.

It was a historic night for Atalanta, who, apart from ending Leverkusen’s impressive 51-match unbeaten run, secured their first-ever European Cup trophy.