Atalanta was proclaimed Europa League champion this Wednesday on a magical night, in the first European final in its history, destroying a historic Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin (3-0) and with the Nigerian Ademola Lookman as an absolute hero, author of a spectacular hat-trick with which he glorified the Greek goddess embodied in a small soccer team.
Leverkusen had gone 51 games in a row without losing. It was a feeling of absolute superiority that Xabi Alonso’s team emanated throughout the season. It was a historic ‘treble’ for the Aspirin team, which was deservedly the favorite in Dublin for its unforgettable year, in which it won a Bundesliga—the first in its history—to remember.
But Atalanta, a team from the small town of Bergamo, located just 60 kilometers from Milan in the north of Italy, became that irreducible small Gallic village of Asterix and Obélix, embodied in Gasperini and Lookman, who wanted to be an exception and write their own story.
Because he reached his first European final and won it. And he did it with all the determination possible and with an absolute hero, a Lookman who will go down in posterity with a dream final that culminated an equally golden campaign and that gave the city of Bergamo an unforgettable title. The win at Anfield, the walk against ‘undefeated’ Leverkusen, the award for the ‘Gasperini Era’, which imposed his plan on that of the Tolosa coach. This Atalanta is a piece of history.
It was a whirlwind in the first half. Gasperini’s men achieved what very few had achieved this season: blurring a Leverkusen team that, lost, overwhelmed on the flanks, unable to overcome the high pressure of those from Bergamo, succumbed in the first half without palliatives.
Specifically, he suffered the overflow and success of a Lookman who had his consecrating match in this duel. Well known for his defenses in Serie A, he could not have chosen a better showcase to appear in Europe, with a double that unraveled Xabi Alonso’s feared and undefeated team.
First in the 12th minute after a great collective play. The calmness of Koopmeiners to find Zappacosta, the back pass of the Italian winger, and the area full of ‘nerazzurri’ players. That is Gasperini’s ‘Dea’, the essence of a team that amazed a few years ago with a shameless attack and that now also shines for its solidity in defense. Just the one that Hincapié lacked, completely asleep in the heart of the area and leaving the tray as the finishing touch to the protagonist of the night.
Gasperini celebrated, and Bergamo celebrated. But for Lookman, it wasn’t enough. Taking advantage of the dizziness of a Leverkusen knocked out and cold due to the situation they were experiencing, the Nigerian decided to take one of the goals of the tournament out of his hat. He received it on the balcony of the area, and everyone knew that he was going to look for the door with a diagonal. He threw a beautiful shot at Xhaka and put her on the long post, unreachable by Kovar’s stretch.
The first half of the Greek goddess was perfect, much superior to the Aspirin team that, yes, had the tying goal at Grimaldo’s feet, but the Spaniard failed to define Musso in the clearest way for the Germans. , who appreciated the rest.
It was when Xabi Alonso touched the first key. Out Stanisic, defense, and in Boniface, forward. Leverkusen’s motto was clear; they had no choice but to go on the attack. But not even with those did he manage to worry an Atalanta that closed ranks with an omnipresent Ederson and that continued to generate danger on the counter with an unleashed Lookman, a superlative Koopmeiners, and a supportive Scamacca.
Only the individual qualities of Wirtz, Boniface, Grimaldo, and
But tonight was not for anyone on the German team. Not even Leverkusen’s emblematic final minutes in the last games could appear before the Italian earthquake, which was pronounced on the Richter scale a few degrees higher with another masterpiece, Lookman’s third. The best of the night for last, he must have thought. A perfect dribble, overflowing with astonishing ease for the 75th minute, and a left-footed shot straight into the top corner.
The goal ended the game. The Greek goddess Atalanta, reincarnated in a small team from Bergamo, became champion, expanding its history and winning the second title in its history after the 1963 Italian Cup, just a week after having lost the third Cup final in five years. And embittering a Leverkusen that, in the same way, and with the permission of the ‘Dea’, will go down in history.
Datasheet
3: Atalanta: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac (Salvini, m. 46); Zappacosta (Hateboer, m. 84); Koopmeiners, Ederson, Ruggeri (Toloi, m.); De Ketelaere (Pasalic, m. 57); Lookman y Scamacca (El Bilal Touré, m. 84).
0: Bayer Leverkusen: Covar; Stanisic (Boniface, m. 46); Tah; Tapsoba; Frimpong (Tella, m. 81); Xhaka; Palaces (Andrich, m. 68); Hincapié; Grimaldo (Hlozek, m. 69); Wirtz (Schick, m. 81); Adli.
Goles: 1-0, m.12: Lookman; 2-0, m.26: Lookman; 3-0, m.75: Lookman
Referee: Istvan Kovaks (Romania). Shown yellow cards to Djimsiti (m.22), Scamacca (m.35), Zappacosta (m.60), Koopmeiners (m.70) for Atalanta, and Wirtz (m.35), Tapsoba (m.66), and Andrich (m.73) for Bayer Leverkusen.
Incidents: The match corresponding to the final of the Europa Football League was played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin before almost 52,000 spectators.
