Ademola Lookman, the Atalanta winger, was unstoppable, and Bayer Leverkusen’s almost unattainable goal of going the whole season undefeated and winning a hat treble of trophies was accomplished.
Instead, Lookman was the hero of the hat trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Leverkusen on Wednesday in the Europa League final.
Few anticipated the crushing defeat that befell the newly crowned German champion, whose 51-game winning streak across Europe was snapped by a club that had defeated them 3-0 in Liverpool during the semifinals.
In a game when the favorites never seemed comfortable, Lookman, the Nigerian international born in London, was merciless in punishing significant mistakes made by Leverkusen players to score twice in the opening 26 minutes. In the 75th, he finished off his solo performance with an arrowing shot.
Atalanta and its seasoned coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, would make for a heartwarming soccer tale in any regular season or usual European final.
In the era of the big-money Super League, what is there not to adore for neutral fans? A well-managed team from a tiny provincial city wins its first major prize in 61 years by playing attractive soccer under a faithful coach on a tight budget.
Atalanta was left to take the villainous role and thwart Leverkusen’s chance to become the greatest soccer team in history in Europe.
It is now up to Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso to motivate his team for Saturday’s German Cup final. At the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, they will be the overwhelming favorites to defeat Kaiserslautern, a lower division team.
Alonso stood still and by himself in front of the team dugout, eventually seeing his side lose as the minutes in Dublin dwindled. He would fold his arms and then plunge his hands deep into the pockets of his black pants in alternate movements.
A little distance away, a lively 66-year-old Gasperini was dancing with his players and staff in anticipation of the final whistle. His black jacket zipped up against the nighttime chill.
Exequiel Palacios was Alonso’s first choice in midfield on Wednesday, beating out Robert Andrich, but the first goal was the fault of the Argentina player who won the 2022 World Cup.
When Davide Zappacosta’s ball across the goalmouth escaped everyone, Palacios, defending the far post, had no idea that Lookman was behind him.
Lookman scored with a soaring shot after cutting in on Palacios’ blind side.
In the 26th, Leverkusen conceded a goal in the middle of its own half once more, making the score 2-0. Lookman was hit by Amine Adli’s careless header that ricocheted back toward his own defense.
With goalkeeper Matěj Kovář diving to his left, the former Everton midfielder sidestepped Granit Xhaka’s challenge and curled his right-footed effort into the net’s corner.
Leverkusen had fallen down 2-0 in a Europa League last-phase match for the fourth time since March, but its winning streak had never appeared to be in jeopardy. Leverkusen failed to score goals in stoppage time or late in the game, continuing a season-long trend.
Prior to the Atalanta goals, Bergamo supporters, who outnumbered Leverkusen supporters by around 12,000 to 9,000 in the 48,000-person attendance, largely outnumbered their German counterparts on this cloudy and windy evening in the Irish capital.
From the outset, the players showed their physical determination, pressuring Leverkusen to abandon its customarily graceful approach through precise marking.
Leverkusen produced nothing and frequently gave the ball to Atalanta in its own half. When there were opportunities to score, Jeremie Frimpong’s volleyed effort soared high over the goal, and Álex Grimaldo poorly lobbed the ball into the arms of goalkeeper Juan Musso, who had moved off his line.
