Ademola Lookman was the hero for Atalanta, scoring a hat-trick as the Italians defeated German Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to win their first-ever European title.
Lookman’s goals came in the 12th, 26th, and 76th minutes, with his second goal being a stunning display of skill, dribbling past his marker and firing a well-taken shot past Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
The Nigeria international became the first player in the competition’s history to score a hattrick in the final. He is also only the second player to score a hat-trick in the final of a major European competition for an Italian side, after Pierino Prati in Milan against Ajax in the 1969 European Cup.
This historic win marks Atalanta’s first major trophy since the club was established in 1907. Additionally, it ended Bayer Leverkusen’s impressive 51-game unbeaten streak in all competitions this season.
Lookman’s impressive performance and Atalanta’s dominant win will be remembered as a landmark moment in the club’s history.
Atalanta become the first Italian team to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League since Parma in 1999.