Atalanta’s history making hero Ademola Lookman broke Leverkusen’s dream of having an ‘invincible season’ in the Europa league. Atalanta’s Nigerian winger scored a hat-trick in a brilliant display of individual skill throughout the match.
Atalanta players were celebrating on the bench from long before the match was near to end. On the contrary, after the match, for the first time in this season, there was a picture of disappointment in the Leverkusen camp. Xabi Alonso’s team did not have to go through such an experience in any match this season before.
Alonso was not prepared for such a thing. As the final whistle blew, Alonso’s eyes showed a strange surprise. The taste of winning the treble after going undefeated for the whole season was not achieved by Leverkusen even after coming so close. After being unbeaten for 51 matches in all competition, Leverkusen lost in one of the most important matches of the season. The German champions lost by 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Watch the Highlights here: https://youtu.be/WWsFfP0EZGs?si=cbwUqCfoyz7rfBmg
Match highlight and goals
From the beginning of the match, Leverkusen tried to retain natural possession, but Atalanta surprised them by sudden attacks. The Italian club, however, started their game with a very aggressive strategy. In the first 10 minutes, however, no one could create a telling chance.
The Italian club got the first result in the 12th minute of the match. Lookman led Atalanta with a great finish from David Zappacosta’s pass from a great attack. Leverkusen tried to even the score soon after Atalanta’s first goal, by trying to regain their passing rhythm. They also got close to scoreing once and twice. However, they didn’t succeed. On the other hand, Atalanta tried to increase the gap by continuing to pressure. They were successful in their efforts.
Leverkusen fell behind by 2-0 on the score board within 26 minutes of the match. Even then, Leverkusen players did not lose the hope of turning around the match. In this season, Leverkusen turned the match from two goals behind in their previous 4 matches. They won one match and draw the score in the other 3 matches. This time too the fans were hoping for something like that. But the day belonged only to Atalanta, more specifically to Lookman. Which ultimately did not allow Alonso’s history-making team to return to the match this season.
In the second half, Lookman completed his hat-trick with another great goal in the 75th minute of the match and completely closed the way for Leverkusen to return to the game. In the end, however, Leverkusen did not even try to get the consolation goal. In the end, they left the field with the disappointment of breaking their dream of winning the treble. After the match, against the disappointment of Leverkusen, Atlanta’s players were seen enjoying their historical win.
Atalanta also tried to spoil Leverkusen’s game as well as giving tough competition by themselves. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men made Leverkusen’s possession based football difficult with great strategy. In addition, the team also played physical football at this time. Atalanta has been very successful from the beginning with this masterclass strategy of coach Gasperini.
For the final, Alonso made the team of eleven by leaving players like Victor Boniface and Patrick Schick on the bench. The Leverkusen coach did not make any changes in strategy despite keeping the two best stars out.
Player of the match
Ademola Lookman won well deserving title of the player of the match. Sixteen players brought the trophy home for Atalanta tonight, but this final will be remembered for one player. Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick was not just decisive, it was phenomenal. And, by scoring those three goals, he becomes just the fourth player to score a hat-trick in a one-legged major European final.
This match handed Leverkusen their first defeat of the season, and gave Atalanta a taste of the title after 61 years. It is also the club’s first European title as well. Atalanta’s impressive win also showed that Leverkusen can lose too. Otherwise the club that has broken one record after another in this season had forgotten what the taste of defeat is.
Leverkusen still has a chance to win the double despite losing the chance to win the treble. Next Sunday, they will enter the field against Kaiserslautern with the aim of winning the German Cup title.
READ MORE: https://usateller.com/end-of-an-era-germanys-toni-kroos-to-retire-from-football-after-euro-2024/
