Ex-Premier League flop makes history in Europa League final

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Photo: @Atalanta_BC

Ademola Lookman will go down in Atalanta, and European football, folklore after scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Bayer Leverkusen's memorable 51-game unbeaten run came to an end after a 3-0 defeat against Atalanta at the AVIVA Stadium in Dublin.

Xabi Alonso's men were tipped as the favourites before the game, having gone an entire Bundesliga campaign unbeaten, alongside failing to lose any of their Europa League matches and progressing to the DFB-Pokal final.

Howewer, former Everton and Fulham winger Lookman set the Aviva Stadium alight with all three goals in a one-sided final.

Opened the scoring with a tidy finish at the far post, doubled his side's advantage with a sublime goal and completed his hat-trick with a sensational effort.

Ademola Lookman's HAT-TRICK last night won Atalanta their first ever European trophy.

He ended Bayer Leverkusen's invincible season.

⚽⚽⚽🇳🇬🦅#Uel #Supersort pic.twitter.com/ahm9BfLW68

— ỌjịUgo™️🍫👁️‍🗨️ (@OjiUgo_nwa) May 23, 2024

It was an outstanding performance from the 26-year-old, who was not even expected to be in the starting XI but was picked in an all-attack formation along with Gianluca Scamacca, Charles De Ketelaere and Teun Koopmeiners.

Lookman's hat-trick meant the Nigeria international became the first player in history to find the net three times in a single-leg Europa League final.

The former England U-21 star - known in the Premier League for his infamous botched Panenka for Fulham - is also now the first African to score two or more in the final of a major UEFA competition.

Speaking to TNT Sports after receiving his Man of the Match trophy, a near-speechless Lookman said:

It's one of the best nights of my life.

Amazing performance by the team and we did it. Not got many words to say!

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