Ademola Lookman scored a sensational hat-trick as Atalanta secured the 2023-24 Europa League title after defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 on Wednesday evening.
The defeat for Leverkusen ends their impressive unbeaten run across all competitions.
Having gone through an entire Bundesliga campaign undefeated, Leverkusen had not been beaten in 51 matches prior to Wednesday’s contest. They can still lift the German Cup final this Saturday, should they defeat second-tier Kaiserslautern.
Atalanta, meanwhile, have become the first Italian team to win the competition since Parma beat Marseille in the 1999 showpiece.
They took the lead inside the opening 12 minutes after Davide Zappacosta squared the ball inside the penalty box to Lookman, who put the ball in the back of the net with a composed finish.
Lookman then doubled his side’s lead with his second goal of the game, finding the bottom left-hand corner with a wonderful finish from outside the 18-yard box.
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The 26-year-old then completed his hat-trick in the 75th-minute after firing a superb effort past Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
Lookman is the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final. Atalanta’s only previous major honour — the 1963 Coppa Italia — also had a hat-trick hero, with Angelo Domenghini claiming the match ball following a 3-1 win against Torino.
Speaking post-match, Lookman said: “One of the best nights of my life.
“Amazing performance from the team. We did it. We did it. I’ve not got many words to say – fantastic.
“We made history tonight.”
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Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini said via UEFA.com: “I think we wrote history, also for the way we won it.
“It was just extraordinary, we defeated Liverpool, Sporting who won the championship. When we faced Liverpool they were first in the Premier League… And now the German champions.
“Incredible. The boys were extraordinary, a memorable performance.”
The victory for the Italian side marks an impressive European campaign. On their route to the trophy, they defeated Liverpool across two legs in the quarter-finals, while they defeated French club Marseille in the semi-finals of the tournament.
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
