Ademola Lookman wrote himself into Atalanta folklore by ending Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten streak in the Europa League final.
The Charlton academy graduate scored a brilliant hat-trick in their 3-0 win at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to propel the Italian side to their first trophy in over 60 years.
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Just a week after losing to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, Atalanta finally got their hands on silverware for the first time since 1963.
And they have Lookman to thank, with the 26-year-old becoming the first player in Europa League history to score a hat-trick in a final.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s men went into Thursday night as underdogs after Leverkusen’s superb season so far.
The German giants won their first Bundesliga crown and were hoping to complete a historic Invincible treble season with the DFB-Pokal final on the horizon.
But they fell behind in the 12th minute in the Irish capital, with Lookman finding the back of the net from close range.
He then embarrassed former Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka by shoving the Swiss international, before placing a shot into the far corner just before the half-hour mark.
Xabi Alonso’s side have specialized in spectacular comebacks this season to keep their unbeaten record intact, but Lookman ended any hopes of a turnaround in the 75th minute.
The London-born Nigerian international entered the box, where he headed past Edmond Tapsoba before striking into the top right corner.
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Lookman has now become the first player to score a hat-trick in the final of a major UEFA competition since Jupp Heynckes’ hat-trick in the 1975 UEFA Cup final for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
And it was his exploits that allowed Atalanta to become the first Italian team to win the Europa League.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Lookman said: “One of the best nights of my life.
“Amazing performance from the team, we did it, we did it, we did it! Fantastic.
“They always say third time’s lucky, so yeah, it’s for us today [winning a final at the third attempt this season].
“I’m just happy we won. We won today, so yeah, I’m very happy.
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Atalanta’s triumph in Dublin also saw Gasperini finally win his first trophy in his 21-year coaching career.
He had previously lost three times in the Coppa Italia final with Atalanta, but finally won gold on the fourth time.
As for Leverkusen, they will have to dust themselves off quickly and get over their heartbreak before Saturday’s DFB-Pokal final.
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Leverkusen will face German second division side Kaiserslautern, where they will hope to win one more trophy to cap off an incredible season.
The club’s transformation has been nothing short of sensational since Alonso’s appointment midway through the 2022/23 season, with Leverkusen sitting second in the Bundesliga.
But they finished second to Atalanta, who were deservedly crowned Europa League champions.
