Fifty-one and done: Atalanta stun Leverkusen in Europa League final
Updated May 23, 2024 — 10.34am
Dublin: Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) to win just the second major trophy in their 117-year history and end the German champions’ remarkable unbeaten streak.
Lookman, who struggled to establish himself in the English Premier League with Everton, Fulham and Leicester City before reviving his career in Italy under Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, struck twice inside the first 26 minutes before sealing the win 15 minutes from full-time.
The victory ended Gasperini’s own two-decade long pursuit of major silverware as his side totally outplayed Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen – or ‘Neverlusen’ as they had been dubbed after going an incredible 51 games unbeaten.
But just as they did against Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and three-time finalists Marseille in the previous two rounds, Atalanta didn’t give their opponents a sniff to mark their first European final with a famous victory.
“We needed to be attacking, it was not enough just to defend. We know these teams are great at attacking. Everyone was extraordinary,” Gasperini told Sky Sports Italia, referring to the teams his side beat to become the first Italian winners of the competition since Parma 25 years ago.
“The way we did it was the most important thing, we deserved it without a shadow of a doubt against such a strong team. Winning the Europa League is an extraordinary achievement.”
Berat Djimsiti hoists hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman after Atalanta’s Europa League final win over heavy favourites Bayer Leverkusen.Credit: Getty
Leverkusen started the game looking decidedly unsure of themselves and some uncharacteristically sloppy play handed the first chance of the game to Gianluca Scamacca, who didn’t get enough on his header from a fine Matteo Ruggeri cross.
It was an early warning shot and the purposeful Italians struck within minutes when Davide Zappacosta was allowed far too much space down the right before Lookman beat a flat-footed Exequiel Palacios to the cut back to stroke home the opener.
Lookman was mobbed by his teammates and substitutes who were in dreamland 14 minutes later.
Another Leverkusen error gifted possession to the Nigeria forward, who skipped past one defender and curled a beautiful right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner from just outside the box.
Xabi Alonso processes Leverkusen’s first loss of a remarkable campaign.Credit: Getty
The stunned Germans showed brief flashes of how quickly they can turn it on in attack but little came of it and it was Charles De Ketelaere who came closest on the break as Atalanta did not show a shred of debut final nerves nor any effects from the absence of injured captain Marten de Roon.
Leverkusen swapped defender Josip Stanisic for top scorer Victor Boniface at half-time but it changed little as both sets of travelling fans continued to create the kind of Aviva Stadium noise matched only by some of the Irish rugby teams’ famous wins or memorable international nights of years gone by.
Leverkusen had only failed to score once during the run that featured 42 wins in all competitions and 17 goals scored in or after the 90th minute, but the chances of another comeback faded away against the resolute Atalanta back line.
Lookman completely extinguished them on the counterattack with another stunning strike into the top corner, this time with his left foot to complete his hat-trick, the sixth in a major European final and first since Jupp Heynckes’ for Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.
He was flung into the air by his teammates 15 minutes later when the final whistle blew and the Bergamo club ended the 61-year wait since their 1963 Italian Cup triumph.
For their part, Leverkusen now turn their attention to the weekend German Cup final against second-tier Kaiserslautern.
“The normality is not to get defeated in the 52nd game,” Alonso said. “Normally it happens much earlier in the season. It’s been quite exceptional what we have achieved and we have to be really proud, probably in some time but for sure today it’s painful.
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“We will learn, I will learn because these defeats in the final, you don’t forget them. It will be a test how we deal with it because we have another big thing on Saturday.
“It going to be a challenge for us how we come back from today’s defeat and how we deal with the pain. Let’s try and have a big influence on our mindset for Saturday.”
Reuters
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