Ademola Lookman delivered the efficiency of a lifetime on the most important evening of his profession, scoring a sensational hat-trick to propel Atalanta to a 3-0 win over favorites Bayer Leverkusen within the UEFA Europa League remaining. Xabi Alonso’s males, who had not tasted defeat of their earlier 51 matches in all competitions, couldn’t maintain a candle to Gian Piero Gasperini’s warriors. Atalanta didn’t give them room to breathe, and Lookman ensured his pictures discovered the again of the online.
A Masterclass From Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta In UEFA Europa League Last
Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen got here into the match in stellar kind. They’d loved a historic unbeaten home season, ending 17 factors away from second-placed Stuttgart. Alonso earned plaudits for orchestrating dramatic comebacks, time after time, recreation after recreation. Sadly for him and his boys, Gasperini’s Atalanta didn’t give them the prospect to lookup.
Below Gasperini, Atalanta have developed a popularity for enjoying an explosive model of soccer. They press onerous from begin to end, with out pause or hesitation, forcing the opposition to make a mistake. After all, the aggressive type doesn’t all the time work. Many groups have performed round their frantic press, exploited the gaps they left behind. Nonetheless, Leverkusen may discover the antidote in time to avoid wasting their match.
Atalanta pressured Leverkusen to present the ball away within the seventh minute, resulting in an honest likelihood for Gianluca Scamacca. The middle-forward, nonetheless, couldn’t get a clear contact and the ball went out of hazard. 4 minutes later, Lookman struck, darting into the field from the left to use the crowning glory to Davide Zappacosta’s low cross into the realm. Lookman added two extra on both aspect of halftime to seal the win, however Atalanta may have had just a few extra if they’d been much more scientific.
On the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday (Could 22), Atalanta tried 10 pictures, seven of which landed on the right track. They fortunately surrendered possession (33 vs 67) and performed loads fewer passes (236 vs 564), however unsettled Leverkusen with ease. They made 11 interceptions, blocked two pictures, and had 23 clearances. And when on possession, they didn’t waste passes when switching play, delivering 26 correct lengthy balls.
An Ademola Lookman Masterclass In opposition to Bayer Leverkusen
Atalanta performed an outstanding recreation in opposition to Leverkusen. However it might have counted for naught had Lookman not been there to use the crowning glory. Whereas his opening objective showcased his consciousness as an attacker, the opposite two make clear his razor-sharp ending.
Within the twenty sixth minute, he picked up the ball round 40 yards away from objective. He progressed by means of the inside-left channel earlier than stepping previous Granit Xhaka’s problem, chopping inside, and discovering the bottom-right nook with a shot from the sting of the ‘D’.
His third objective got here within the seventy fifth minute, once more by means of a wonderful little bit of wing play. Receiving the ball from Scamacca simply contained in the field, Lookman pulled off a neat step-over the take the ball huge of the field earlier than dispatching a thunderous left-footed drive to search out the top-right nook. Scoring the third objective with solely quarter-hour to play, Lookman ensured Atalanta’s first main trophy since 1963, changing into a membership legend within the course of.
