Kylian Mbappe did it in the World Cup final in 2022, but never in the European Championship. This Wednesday evening, Ademola Lookman managed to score three goals in the Europa League final, which Atalanta won against Bayer Leverkusen (3-0). No one has achieved such a result in a major European competition since 1975.
The last player to score a hat-trick in a European Cup final was Borussia Monchengladbach’s Jupp Heynckes against Twente. In history, such a performance has occurred only six times. Madrilenian Ferenc Puskás achieved this twice with Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stefano also once with Casa Blanca, and Pierino Prati, in turn, did it with Milan.
Ademola Lookman, the Nigerian national team striker, also became the first African player to score two or more goals in the final of a major European tournament. His first goal of the evening came in the 12th minute when Teun Koopmeiners crossed at the far post.
“This is incredible”
In the 26th minute, he scored this time with a shin, eliminating Granit. Finally, he completed his job in the 75th minute. He played a pass to his feet against Edmond Tapsob, and then struck hard with his left foot into the opposite corner of the German goal.
The Nigerian striker led Atalanta to their first title since the 1963 Coppa Italia. At the same time, he defeated Bayer Leverkusen, unbeaten in 51 matches and unrecognizable this Wednesday night. “This is fantastic, this is one of the best days of my career,” Ademola Lookman said on Canal+. I played my football and the team helped me a lot. »
Source: Le Parisien
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
