Ademola Lookman’s Hat Trick Wins Atalanta Their First European Title In 117 Years

Ademola Lookman has earned Atalanta BC their first European title since the club was formed in 1907 with a hat trick. The 26-year-old Nigerian struck twice against Bayer Leverkusen in the first half and again at the 76th minute to become the first footballer to score three goals in a Europa League final.

With the win, Atalanta BC is now the first Italian team to win a Europa League title, beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 and ending Xavi Hernandez’s 51-game unbeaten run.

Lookman opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the game when he converted a Davide Zappacosta assist. The Nigerian forward would find the net again at the 26th minute when he dazzled past the defense line to put the ball behind Matej Kovar at the far left corner of the net. The third goal came 25 minutes into the second half, making it impossible for Xavi’s team to mount their usual comeback.

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For 51 games and 361 days, Bayer Leverkusen had been unbeaten, having last lost a game in May 2023. However, Lookman’s performance ended the unbeaten run, and would be remembered by the Bergamo faithful for handing them their first European Cup.