Nigerian striker Lookman’s hat-trick propels Atalanta to Europa League glory and crushes Leverkusen’s invincible dream

Ademola Lookman etched his name into European football history, scoring a stunning hat-trick to lead Atalanta to a resounding 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The Nigerian forward opened the scoring inside twelve minutes, expertly finding the far post to silence the boisterous Leverkusen supporters.

His second goal, a stunning nutmeg of Granit Xhaka, was a moment of pure brilliance, making him the first African to score twice in a major UEFA final.

Lookman completed his historic hat-trick with a thunderous strike fifteen minutes from time, sealing a memorable victory for Atalanta.

The former Everton player’s performance surpassed his three-season Premier League tally, and he became the first player to achieve a hat-trick in a Europa League final since 1975.

The triumph marks a significant moment for Atalanta, who become the first Italian side to lift the UEFA Cup/Europa League trophy since Parma in 1998.

Their journey to the final was a testament to their resilience and quality, with memorable wins over Marseille and Liverpool along the way.

Leverkusen, who enjoyed an incredible season with their first-ever Bundesliga title, saw their dreams of an unprecedented treble shattered by the Italian side.

Despite the loss, they still have the opportunity to secure a double, with the DFB Pokal final against Kaiserslautern looming on Saturday.

The night belonged to Atalanta, who celebrated a historic victory, and Ademola Lookman, who etched his name into the annals of the competition with a truly memorable performance.

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