Atalanta lift Europa League 2023-24 trophy; Ademola Lookman scores incredible hattrick

This was the first-ever hat-trick in Europa League final

Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen by a margin of 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League 2023-24 final. A hat-trick from Ademola Lookman sealed the tie for the Italian side. Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten run and hunt for a treble ended with Atalanta’s win.

The Italian side lost the Coppa Italia final but were on the front foot for the European final. Ademola Lookman scored the first goal in the 12th minute to give his side the lead. Atalanta had the better momentum in the initial stages and capitalised on the opportunity. In the 26th minute, the Nigerian forward scored his second for the night.

Atalanta were leading 2-0 at half-time. Bayer Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso had to do plenty of thinking heading into the second half.

Gasperini’s men devised a plan and were not giving any space to Wirtz & Co. They kept a tight defensive line and stopped Leverkusen’s high-flying full-backs from attacking.

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As Bayer continued to struggle, Ademola Lookman was enjoying the night of his life. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a left-foot strike. This was the first ever hat-trick in the Europa League final.

Leverkusen will play in the DFB Pokal final this weekend. They have a chance to win both major domestic trophies and end this season with just one defeat. Not a fairytale ending to Bayer Leverkusen’s season but there are plenty of positives. Xabi Alonso will be disappointed with his team’s display and hope for a better reply in the cup match.

This was Atalanta’s first European trophy. They defeated Liverpool and Marseille in the previous rounds. After a disappointing loss against Juventus, Atalanta ended their 60-year wait for a major honour. Gian Piero Gasperini also won his first honour as a coach. He is also the oldest coach to lift this trophy. A tactical genius led his side to the first major European honour.

Marseille’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended the competition with 10 goals and was awarded the Golden Boot. Roma’s Romelu Lukaku finished second with seven goals, followed by Gianluca Scamacca and Joao Pedro on six goals.

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